Family Jules (Improved and Expanded)
by SnydersOfHanover
Summary: Inspired by Psych's remake of one of their early episodes, I too thought my first story could use some improvement. Shawn and Gus investigate a series of break-ins targeting the Spencer men, while Shules encounters a surprising development in their newly re-kindled relationship. Set towards the end of season 7. First in 'Better Than Pugs' series. I do not own characters.
1. Prologue: Fishing

**Hi Faithful Readers. 'Family Jules' being my first fanfic, I thought it was pretty good. But now that I am a more experienced writer, I thought I could make it better. I wasn't gonna do it, but after watching "Cloudy with a Chance of Improvement" last week I figured if the Psych writer's can do it, why can't I? This will be my first story 'Family Jules' as it was but improved and expanded.**

_Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

* * *

><p>Spring 1987<p>

It was early morning, the sun just beginning to rise above the city of Santa Barbara, California. Henry Spencer stood at the edge of his fishing boat, leaning on the railing and holding a rod into the deep waters of the Pacific Ocean. Next to him stood 9-year-old Shawn, limply holding a fishing rod of his own while his eyes drooped sleepily. As Shawn slumped further onto the railing, his rod began to slip little-by-little from his tired hands. Just in time, Henry scooped up Shawn's rod before it dropped into the ocean to be lost forever.

"Shawn! Pay attention!" Henry shouted, startling Shawn from his near slumber.

"Wha..ah..what, Dad?" said Shawn looking about, as if surprised to find himself standing on a boat instead of resting comfortably in his bed.

"Wake up. We're not here to sleep. We're here to fish," said Henry frustratingly.

"Whhyyy?" Shawn groaned.

"And look at this!" Henry continued ignoring Shawn's complaint. "You almost lost your rod! This is a top-of-the-line Berkley and a gift from Grandpa Spencer. What would Grandpa say if he found out you dropped your gift into the ocean?"

"We wouldn't have to tell him," mumbled Shawn.

Henry sighed and counted to ten silently before lightening his tone. "Son? Why do you think I asked you to come fishing with me?" asked Henry.

Shawn shrugged. "So…we can stab a helpless earth worm through the gut, dangle him in saltwater and fool a totally innocent fish into thinking he found a free meal, only to rip him out of his home where he will suffocate until we cut him open and eat him?" he suggested.

Henry groaned and shook his head. "No, Shawn. Fishing isn't just that. Fishing is a skill that has been passed from father to son for centuries. It is the circle of life. It is survival. It is a man venturing out into the dark, or the cold, or whatever conditions necessary to provide food for his family…"

Shawn stared at his father, a look of child-like confusion etched on his face. "Couldn't he just go to the _Stop N' Shop_ on a sunny Saturday afternoon?" he asked.

"You're missing the point, Shawn," said Henry, unsuccessfully trying to keep the frustration from showing in his voice as he continued. "Fishing is…getting in touch with nature, learning the nuances of ocean life, AND…" Henry's index finger pushed into his son's chest. "…your life."

"Huh?" said young Shawn, looking more perplexed than before.

"Son, for centuries, fathers and sons have taken out to the open waters to fish. But it's not just about the fishing. You see, fishing requires patience…waiting…and that slow pace is the perfect opportunity for boys and their fathers to speak to each other…talk about whatever is on their minds, philosophize about life…"

"Feelawfulsize?" Shawn questioned, the misunderstanding going unexplained by Henry.

"So Shawn, I'm here. You're here. This is your chance. Tell me what's on your mind. What are you thinking about?"

Shawn paused and thought carefully for a moment before answering. "Umm…I'm thinking about…a fluffy mattress, a warm blanket, and dreams of sugarplums dancing in my head. No wait! I don't even know what sugarplums are. Let's say…Kit Kat Bars…and they aren't dancing, they're uh…sky-diving!"

Henry covered his face with his one free hand and shook his head in defeat. "Whatever, Shawn. Maybe this isn't going to make any sense to you right now, but when you grow up and get married and have your own son, you are going to want to take him fishing and then you will understand."

"Get married?! Like…to a _girl?!_" Shawn exclaimed. "Why would I want to do that? I don't even like girls."

This time Henry chuckled. "Believe me, in a few more years you will change your mind about that."

"How do you know?" Shawn challenged.

"Because you will," Henry stated before feeling a tug on his fishing line. His attention turned to reeling in the fish on the other end until an empty line yanked free of the water. "Damn. I missed him!" he mumbled before re-baiting and tossing his line back in, and then resuming the conversation with his son. "Shawn, you know that gift that Grandma left for you?"

"You mean the one I'm not supposed to open until I'm a grown-up?" Shawn asked.

"That's the one," said Henry. "Do you want to know what's in there?"

"Are you allowed to tell me?"

"Of course, I can. I think you are old enough to know."

"Then, yes!" Shawn lit up, excitement overtaking his sleepiness.

Henry turned from the ocean to face his son. "It's a ring."

"A ring?" Shawn said disappointedly, hoping to hear that it was a key to mansion or a big wad of cash. "What kind of ring?"

"A diamond ring," Henry answered.

"But…isn't that a _girl's_ ring?"

"Of course it's a girl's ring. The ring isn't for _you _Shawn. It's for your future wife. One day…after you start liking girls…you are going to meet one and fall in love with her. Then you are going to want to give her that ring and marry her, and maybe even you'll want to start a family with her. Then you'll have your own sons or daughters to take fishing, or camping, or whatever, and you'll want to teach them about life. Understand?"

Shawn thought for a moment then adamantly shook his head from side-to-side. "Nope. Nu-uh. That's never gonna happen. Not to me."

"Well, let's just wait and see," said Henry.

Suddenly, Shawn's rod which he still held loosely in his hands began to tug. Henry set aside his own rod and helped Shawn to reel in a good-size bass.

"Ho ho ha!" exclaimed Henry holding up the plump fish. "This will make an excellent dinner tonight!"

Shawn nodded in passive agreement. "Great...Does this mean we can go home now?"

"Yes," said Henry rolling his eyes and shaking his head in frustration. "We can go home now."

* * *

><p><strong>This is my first attempt at writing young Shawn. What do you think?<strong>


	2. Chapter 1: Intruder

**Ok, so the prologue and the first chapter are totally new. The next chapter and a lot of the rest of the story will be more familiar, but I'm going to try to juice it up a bit. A little more mystery and suspense, more description and inner monologue when needed, more jokes and silly Shawn and Gus humor. There will probably be a few more totally new scenes, as well as incorporation of some of the one-shots I've written for 'Grandpapa Spencer And More.' I don't know yet if I am going to make any major changes to the plot. We'll see what happens. As always, your input is appreciated. If there is any particular content you'd like to see or opportunities for clarification or just to point out mistakes or if someone seems out of character, I'll consider writing/adding/changing it.**

**Also, if you are wondering about my AU fic 'It Was A Mistake.' I will assure you that I am NOT going to totally abandon it. It's been tricky trying to keep everyone in character and still figure out how the story will end happily. I want to do it justice, so it will take some time.**

**Here it goes, Chapter 1!**

* * *

><p><span>Spring 2013<span>

Henry had initiated weekly dinners between himself and his grown son several years ago in hopes that it could save their rocky relationship, and by now they were routine and expected. These regular Friday dinners were normally anything but a typical family dinner. Thanks to Shawn's career as a "psychic" detective, Henry's home had become a hide-out for various off-the-wall clients, such as wanted criminals, an insolent reality TV show host, a football legend, and even a polar bear. Whoever-it-was usually ended up crashing their Friday dinner, and sometimes with unfortunate results. Lately, though, the dinners had been surprisingly normal.

Over the years, the dinner guest list had changed from just Henry and Shawn to regular inclusion of Shawn's life-long buddy Gus, and now both young men and their girlfriends. Shawn had been involved in a steady relationship with his long-time colleague Detective Juliet O'Hara. And more than that, Shawn was head-over-heels for his 'Jules.' He worshipped the ground she walked on and wanted to spend forever with her, even if he didn't know it yet. In fact, he had been holding onto that ring just in case the perfect moment came for popping the question. Unfortunately, Shawn's issues with being truthful had led to a heartbreaking separation, and they were only recently reunited and getting back on track. Gus, having been single for a while, was finally in a healthy relationship with single-mom Rachael. Currently, though, Rachael and her son Maximus had returned to her birth home, England, to sort out some visa issues and wasn't present this particular evening.

Henry slapped several pieces of baked fish onto four plates and set them around the table for his guests, while they all began to fill the rest of their plates with rolls and side dishes.

"So Dad?" asked Shawn. "_Stop N' Shop _fish or Henry Spencer original?"

"_Stop N' Shop_, Shawn?!" said Henry, insulted. "You know me better than that! I wouldn't serve a fish I haven't caught myself. This is quality perch with lemon and rosemary rub, my own recipe," he said proudly.

"It sounds delicious!" said Gus as he moaned in delightful anticipation.

Silence filled the room while the group started digging in, Henry taking deliberate bites and savoring each, while Shawn poked each piece, inspected them from the corner of his eye, and popped them into his mouth. Gus shoveled the food into his face, while Juliet simply pushed the fish and potato salad around her plate, a queasy look on her face. Shawn, getting fed up with only the sound of chewing and clinking silverware, spoke up.

"So, Dad, how are things going with the new boyfriend?" he said, causing Gus and Juliet to stop mid-bite and look shockingly at Henry, and Henry to scoff annoyingly and drop his fork on his plate with a clang.

"Shawn, what on earth are you talking about?!" he demanded.

"You know, that heavy-set dude you've been meeting with," Shawn elaborated. Henry was dumbfounded as to how Shawn had any knowledge of the man. Apparently he had trained his son well.

Henry scoffed again. "Ed? You mean, Ed Harrison?" said Henry. "Ed is my fishing buddy, Shawn. That's all it is."

"Really? That's _all_?" Shawn questioned, solely for the purpose of pushing his father's buttons.

"Yes, Shawn. I've been meeting with Ed in the mornings to catch some fish and have a little man-to-man conversation, something that I completely failed at getting _you _to appreciate!"

"Man-to-man? How long has this been '_going on'_?" Shawn asked with sarcastic air-quotes, his best friend and girlfriend holding in their snickers.

"Nothing is_ 'going on'_ exceptcatching fish, including the one on your plate." Shawn looked at the fish on his plate in revulsion and pushed it away. "Ed is just a freshly retired guy looking for a hobby and I offered to teach him how to fish. I figured I couldn't teach you, so why not Ed? Besides - "

Henry's next argument was cut short when a thump resounded from outside the house, causing everyone to freeze and take a defensive stance. All of them, accustomed to regular interaction with even the worst of criminals and having been responsible for putting many of them behind bars, were always on guard.

"Did you hear that?!" asked Gus in a semi-whisper, enticing a simultaneous "Shhh!" from Henry, Shawn, and Juliet. Through the silence of the room, a slight creaking could be heard from what could have been the front porch.

"Dad, I keep telling you that getting an online subscription to the Santa Barbara Sun will resolve the issue of Clark Higgins stealing your paper," Shawn whispered.

"Why would I want to fiddle with one of those new-fangled gadgets to read the news, when I can use good old paper and ink?" argued Henry quietly. "Anyway, it couldn't be Clark. I already picked up today's paper and the next won't be here until tomorrow morning. Not to mention, I threatened to have him arrested next time he sets foot on my property, so I don't think he'll risk coming back.

"That dude has been stealing your newspaper for over 20 years," said Gus. "He seriously has a problem! He could probably benefit from a prescription of naltrexone. It's shown great promise for treating kleptomania."

"It's not Clark! Now come on," prompted Henry." You two make sure the back entrances are clear and Juliet and I will get the front."

As quietly as possible, the two Spencers and Juliet rose from the table. Shawn fought through indecipherable whispers with a hesitant Gus to get him to leave the table and follow him toward the back entrance. Henry and Juliet, who pulled her Beretta from her purse on the way, approached the front door.

While Shawn and Gus inspected the backside of the house, Henry crouched and peered through the window to the side of the door looking for any signs of movement, but not seeing a thing, shook his head 'no' towards the young detective who had one hand slowly turning the door knob and the other clutching her weapon. Juliet nodded to him that she was ready, and then pushed the door open swiftly with her shoulders, holding her gun in front of her steadily with both hands. Henry, who followed her through the doorway, spotted a man in black crouching at the corner of the porch. The man, knowing that he had been spotted, stood and took off at full speed, jumping the fence and turning towards the street. Juliet, followed by Henry, ran across the yard and partway down the road as fast as their feet could take them until realizing that they had lost track of the mysterious black-suited man.

Shawn and Gus, who had failed at finding anything suspicious at the back of the house, joined the junior and retired detectives in the front. Shawn held out his arms as if to say 'what happened?'

Henry panted, "Intruder…got…away."

Juliet hunched over, her hands on her knees as she caught her breath.

"You ok, sweetheart?" Shawn asked coming closer to her, not accustomed to seeing her out-of-breath. She was usually quite spry.

"Yeah, fine," she said standing and putting her arm around her boyfriend. She leaned against him lightly as they retreated back to the house with Gus and Henry. They spent the next 30 minutes or so scouring the area for clues as to who might have been roaming around Henry's yard and why, and without any leads went back inside to their cold dinner plates. The uninvited event ruining everyone's appetite, Henry and his three guests cleaned up the table and the kitchen.

"Who do you suppose it was?" asked Gus apprehensively.

"Who knows?" answered Henry. "…probably, just your average miscreant…I doubt anything to take too seriously, but we should warn the department about a potential burglar in the area."

"I doubt he'll be coming back here, said Shawn confidently. My smoking-hot-badass-detective girlfriend made sure of that!" He hugged Juliet closer to his side, while she smiled proudly at him. The rest of the room nodded in agreement.

"In any case, we should all be getting home and to a good night's sleep," said Henry with a yawn.

"You sure you'll be ok here on your own tonight, Henry? I could call in an officer to stand guard for the night if you want," Juliet suggested.

"Nah. Thanks Juliet, but I can take care of myself. I'll call the station if I notice anything else suspicious."

With that, they all said their good-byes, Gus heading towards his blue Echo, and Shawn and Juliet to her green Bug. Juliet sighed as she reached for the handle of the driver's side door, and before opening it asked if Shawn could drive. "I'm just so tired tonight for some reason," she said and yawned. Shawn agreed and took the driver's seat while Juliet slumped into the passenger side. Before inserting the keys into the ignition, he stopped and analyzed his girlfriend's appearance.

"What?" she said, noticing him looking at her oddly.

"You ok?" he asked attentively.

"I'm fine," she shrugged. "Just a little tired. That's all." Juliet turned her attention to buckling herself in and faced forward, ready to begin the short drive back to the rental home she shared with Shawn. However, Shawn's attention was still on Juliet.

"You sure? You hardly ate any of your dinner, you were oddly out of breath from chasing after that mystery dude, and I'm pretty sure you look almost as pale as post-1980s Michael Jackson"

Juliet considered his assessment and nodded. "Yeah, I guess I have been feeling a little off today. Nothing is agreeing with my stomach. It's probably nothing serious, but hopefully it won't turn out to be a nasty bug or something."

"And hopefully I won't catch it," Shawn added leaning away from her and holding an 'X' composed of his two index fingers between them. This earned him a light slap on the arm. "I deserved that," he said. "So…we should get you home and into bed…just in case this _is_ a nasty stomach bug. You'll need your rest. Don't worry about running the dishwasher and feeding the cat tonight. You just get straight to bed."

"Thanks, Shawn," she said, yawning, closing her eyes, and intertwining her fingers with his. "I love you," she said as easily as she had before the break-up. She seemed not to have noticed that it was the first time she had said it like that in months. "I love you too," said Shawn as he caressed the back of her hand with his thumb. He regretfully let go of her hand so that he could start the vehicle and drive home.

The next morning Shawn awoke to find Juliet absent from his arms. With bleary eyes, he reached towards her side of the bed, only to find cold, empty sheets. His sudden concern for Juliet's whereabouts bolted him from his grogginess, and he threw off his covers, leapt out of bed, and sprinted into the hallway. He found Juliet on the floor of the bathroom, even paler than the night before.

"It's a nasty buuggg…" she groaned and frowned. "I feel _awful_."

Shawn entered the bathroom and joined his girlfriend on the floor. "Never fear! Doctor Shawn is here!" he said. Juliet chuckled carefully so as not to upset her gurgling stomach and smiled at him. She wearily leaned her forehead on his. "Seriously, though. I mean that," he added softly. "Whatever you need…some toast, Pepto Bismol, an a cappella rendition of Beyonce's version of 'Fever'…I am here."

"I know. You _are _good to me. I'm sorry it took me so long to say it again…"

Immediately knowing that she was referring to the "L"-word, Shawn cut in. "Jules, Stop. You shouldn't be apologizing to me. After the way I lied to you, I don't even deserve an "I kinda like you" let alone an "I love you."

Juliet frowned. "Don't say that, Shawn. You know that it's going to take some time until I can fully trust you again, but…I know you're trying, and I'm trying. And even though I haven't said it in a while, I never…" Juliet paused abruptly as her face sickened and she turned to the toilet to relieve herself of whatever remnants of food she had managed to keep down from the day before. "…stopped loving you," she finished.

"I love you too, Jules. And, much like Timmy Schmit, I'm gonna 'Keep Tryin'."

"A POCO reference, Shawn? I didn't take you for a 70s country rock fan."

"I'm not, but what can I say? When you're a kid you're gonna end up listening to whatever your parents listen to. Anyway, I am saying that I don't want to lose you again…even when you are losing your lunch…which is really gross by the way." Juliet gave Shawn an insulted look. "Just being honest," he said holding up his hands defensively. She laughed lightly and let him have that one. "Come on, let's get you feeling better," said Shawn, pulling his girlfriend up from the floor.

* * *

><p><span>About a week earlier<span>

"Is that what you are wearing?" Henry asked Ed while he dropped two fishing rods and a tackle box into the bed of his truck. It was 5:00 AM and Ed had just arrived at Henry's home for his first fishing lesson. He was dressed fancily for a fishing outing, a sleek button down shirt, black dress pants, and shiny loafers. His sleeves were even neatly held in place by a pair of gold cuff-links, though in his credit, he had forgone the tie.

"Is there something wrong with it?" Ed asked, looking himself over, seemingly thinking that there wasn't any other way to dress than the way he did.

"It's just…fishing can get messy. You may not want to soil your nice clothes," Henry explained.

"These?" asked Ed puzzlingly. "These aren't my nice clothes."

"Uh..ok," said Henry shaking his head behind Ed's back. "At least wear this," he said tossing his old fishing vest to him. With an uncoordinated motion, Ed caught the vest, held it away from his body briefly as if it were a dirty rag, then shrugged, and slung it over his shoulders. Both men got into the truck and Henry drove them to the pier and led him to his personal fishing boat. After using his Fish-finder to rest the boat at a suitable location, and showing Ed how to bait his hook and cast his line, both men stood in silence waiting for a fish to catch one of their lines.

Henry broke the silence. "So Ed, what brings you to Santa Barbara? It's obvious you're not local," he added in response to Ed's wonder at how Henry knew he was from out of town.

"Oh, I uh…like I mentioned previously, I'm recently retired and needed a change of scenery. I thought the sunshine would be beneficial for my health."

"Where you from?" Henry asked.

"Let's say, the East," said Ed. "I'd rather not elaborate…meaning no offense to you, of course."

Ed's answer made Henry slightly uneasy, but he didn't question further, allowing the man the right to his privacy. "I take it your old man never taught you how to fish then?" he asked.

"That's true," admitted Ed. "I will be honest about the fact that I come from a well-to-do family. My father would have considered fishing below his stature. Though, I think I might have enjoyed the activity as a boy."

Henry nodded. Perhaps Ed was simply escaping his formal life-style for which he was never really suited…looking for a simpler life.

"How about you, Henry? Have you always lived in Santa Barbara?" Ed asked.

"Yup, born and raised. My grandfather was a fisherman at Stearns Wharf by trade. My father, after returning from the war, took up the trade as well but struggled to make a living for us."

"The Second World War, I assume?" guessed Ed.

"Yeah. That's the one." Henry didn't notice Ed's satisfactory nod at his answer. "Anyway, he eventually joined the police academy. 'As long as there is crime, I'll have a job,' he always said. 'And as sure as the sun will rise and fall each day, there will be crime.' He always had a fondness for fishing though, and taught me how. I tried to teach my son, but he had no interest."

"Oh! You have a son?" Ed responded jovially. "I never had a son myself…two daughters, though. They are the world to me, but it would have been nice to have a son."

"Yeah, I guess you could say that I lo…love…my son," Henry said hesitantly. Of course, he loved Shawn. It just wasn't his style to say it out loud. "He was a pain in the neck from the day he was born, though, and he's a pain in the neck at age 35 too."

Ed snickered. "I believe that's true for all children."

"You've never met Shawn!" stated Henry steadfastly

"Ha ha!" Ed laughed again. "Well no I haven't. Ha ha. What does he do for a living?"

"He's a…_psychic detective…_" Henry emphasized his son's profession with embarrassment and frankly, disdain. Ed's expression at this statement was priceless. Henry might as well have told him his son was a leprechaun or a Christmas elf. "To be honest, Shawn is as smart as a whip. I trained him up to be a cop like his old man, and he truly could be one of the best detectives out there…and I guess he kind of is…" Henry smiled a bit out of proudness. "But instead of joining the academy and going about his career in the proper way, he had to go and make up this ridiculous profession, and trounce around town having psychic visions or whatever other unprofessional nonsense he uses to solve crimes. He never was one for following the rules…but…I suppose he has saved a lot of people in the process, so at least he has that."

"You don't believe your son is a psychic?" asked Ed.

Henry, suddenly worrying whether Ed may be an undercover informant aimed at exposing Shawn for what he was, did his best to fix the situation. "I suppose _he _believes it," answered Henry untruthfully. "…and he certainly does seem to know things that even I haven't trained him to detect. So, I guess…maybe…he could be, but I've never been one to believe in such things. He could at least do with less of the theatrics, though. It's embarrassing to my name."

Ed laughed again and didn't pry any further, which eased Henry's suspicions. "_Well_, has he at least given you some grandchildren?"

"Ha! Shawn? A father? That's hard to imagine. I'd even question whether he could ever settle down… However, he has been seeing someone…in fact, they are living together, so I suppose it's getting pretty serious. She's actually quite a mature and respectable woman, a _real _detective for the SBPD. I am honestly baffled at how he managed to score her and why she even keeps him around. She must see something in him that I don't. Anyhow, if anyone could get him to settle down, it would be her."

The conversation seemed to have come to an end when both Henry and Ed had managed to catch a few tiny mackerels and Henry concluded that the big ones were just not biting today. He steered the boat back to the pier. After getting off the boat and walking partway down the pier something caught Henry's attention from the corner of his eye. He couldn't be sure, but he thought he saw a man near the base of his boat, as if he had just descended from it. As quickly as the man was there, he was gone.

"Did you see that?" he asked Ed.

"Did I see what?"

"I thought I saw…" Henry was bewildered at how someone could just appear and disappear so quickly and even more so that a man could have been on board his tiny boat without his noticing. He decided his eyes were playing tricks on him. "…oh, never mind. It was nothing." Henry and Ed left the pier with a promise to resume fishing lessons the next morning.

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading and commenting! I enjoy hearing your thoughts.<strong>


	3. Chapter 2: The Break-in

**I've been posting these pretty fast. I'm not sure if I will always keep up this pace. I just have time now.**

**This chapter should be familiar to those who read the first version of the story, but I did change it a bit.**

* * *

><p>The Blueberry approached Shawn's childhood home at top speed. Gus didn't bother to take the time to park properly, but came to a sudden stop catty-corner in the front yard and burst immediately out of the driver's side door, preceded likewise by Shawn from the passenger door. Both men bolted into the house and found Henry, Juliet, her partner Carlton Lassiter, and the chief of police Karen Vick, as well as several other officers standing among what looked like the results of a tornado passing through the living room. Shawn was relieved to find that his father was alive and unharmed.<p>

It had been three days since the mysterious intruder had oh-so-impolitely interrupted their dinner, and so far no other suspicious activity had been spoken of. That is, until Shawn had received a text from Juliet only moments earlier:

_"Your dads ASAP"_

Juliet rarely texted without tagging on some X's and O's or a "Love you," and that alone concerned Shawn, but he also knew that the utter lack of detail, punctuation, or emoticons spoke of urgency.

It had only been several months since Henry nearly lost his life to a gunshot inflicted by a former friend and colleague. The near loss of his dad had hit Shawn with a strong sense of the very real danger of their professions, and the news of something going down at his father's home sent Shawn into a panic. Ever since their interrupted dinner, Shawn had to wonder whether the Jerry Carp case was completely over with. He feared, secretly of course, that someone was still out there who wanted his dad dead. Within five minutes of Juliet's text, Shawn and Gus had left behind the Psych office and arrived at the scene where they now stood.

"Dad! You're OK!" Shawn exclaimed through short breaths.

"Of course, Shawn," Henry replied, "What did you think happened?"

Shawn tried to respond, but found the words stuck in his throat.

"Shawn I'm sorry," Juliet interjected, "I should have been more specific. I didn't mean to worry you…we only heard the report on the scanner… I honestly didn't know what kind of scene we would be coming to."

"That's Ok Jules. Everything's Ok now. I mean…with my dad anyway…" Shawn looked to Henry. "…this living room has certainly seen better days, though."

"What happened here?!" Gus chimed in after finally catching his breath.

"Your father called in a break-in," the Chief answered, addressing Shawn instead of Gus. "We just got here ourselves. Henry, do you mind telling us what happened?"

"Well, I was just getting home from fishing with Ed this morning when I noticed some suspicious movement in the house. At first I thought it was these clowns, indicating Shawn and Gus, using my house for a sting operation again. But when I realized whoever-it-was were far too quiet to be these two, I snuck a look through the window to see who it was. There was a man…in a black suit…making a mess of the place…seemed like he was looking for something. Well, then I came inside and pulled my gun on him. I was hoping to corner him…figure out who he was and what he was up to…but he took off through the back door. I didn't even get a chance to see his face. I can't believe I lost him!"

"Was it the same man?" Juliet asked. "…the one who was here the other night?" Carlton grimaced at the realization that his partner had been having dinner at Henry's. That meant that her relationship with the travesty of a human being that was Shawn Spencer, if he was even worthy of being called human, was getting more serious. He cared for his much younger partner like she was a little sister, and at least on the surface, he loathed Spencer. He had been not-so-secretly hoping that their relationship would fail. Even when he thought his wish had been granted a few weeks ago, she had for some insane reason allowed the man-boy back into her life.

"I can't be sure," Henry answered Juliet. "I didn't get a look at his face either time, but I think they were both about the same size and build. I guess it's possible."

"Did he take anything?" Lassiter asked, pushing away his inner-conflict and continuing to eye over the scene. This was the first he had spoken since Shawn and Gus had arrived.

"He took some cash that I had hidden in a can on my desk, but nothing else of tremendous value that I can tell so far," said Henry.

"Sounds to me like a routine break-in and theft," stated Lassiter. "He was probably just a thug looking for drugs…or cash… or valuables to fund his drug habit."

"Well he picked the wrong house. The most valuable thing my Dad owns is his Ginsu steak knife set," joked Shawn. Now, if he wanted to slice both tomatoes and solid steel while wearing a shirt that looks like a unicorn barfed on it, he came to the right place."

"Shawn's right," said Henry. Shawn did a double-take. His dad rarely agreed with him, especially on the ridiculousness of his attire. "I _mean_," Henry continued. This is not exactly the neighborhood or the house to come looking for drugs or money. Plus, based on how he was dressed, he didn't actually _look _like he was hurting for cash. _And _based on the look of this place it seems more like he was looking for something in particular.

"And if it was the same guy that was here Friday night, it's most likely he was targeting you specifically," Juliet added, to which Henry nodded in strong agreement. "Any idea what he might have been looking for?" asked Juliet

"Beats me! I am not aware of anything I own that would be of interest to a guy in a black suit."

"Black suit? ..." questioned Lassiter, more to himself than to anyone in particular.

"Yeah, like a professional one. Black tie. He looked like a businessman," Henry clarified

"Doesn't really speak of your typical kind of break-in perp," added Lassiter. Usually those guys are rough around edges… This guy must have been targeting this place directly…looking for something specific"

"_That's_ what I said." Juliet admonished. Carlton's tendency to make her observations sound like his own always grated on her nerves. Henry shook his head and scrunched his eyebrows. It just didn't make any sense to him, though.

Meanwhile, Shawn took in the scene in his usual observant way, noticing that books were pulled from the shelves, couch cushions were overturned, practically every drawer had been pulled off their hinges and all of their contents spilled onto the floor. Papers lay strewn about. Even Henry's mail and files on his desk appeared to have been searched.

Shawn put his hand to his head in usual fake psychic fashion. "I am sensing the perp was looking for something small. A small object…maybe something on paper, a piece of information, perhaps. On the other hand, it could have been my Dad's lucky dried prune, or a rabbit's foot, or those gall stones he had removed last winter. Something of that nature…or not of that nature. Maybe it was my rare Mr. T figurine. I can't be sure."

Lassiter scoffed. It obviously wasn't much to go on.

"What have _you_ got, Lassie-face?!" taunted Shawn

Lassiter humphed and turned away uncomfortably.

"Yeah, that's right! A ginormous ZERO! Scoff at me when you have something…or if my hair ever looks like that." Shawn pointed to an awkward-looking officer with a very unfortunate comb-over. The officer turned red and looked at the floor.

"A small object...?" whispered Henry to himself, a puzzled look on his face as he began to take a closer look at the things strewn across the floor. Meanwhile, the detectives began searching for other clues, while the other officers dusted for finger prints and took photos.

* * *

><p>As Henry, Gus, and all of the officers began combing the crime scene. Shawn took advantage of a free moment to check on Juliet. He took her gently by the hand and led her into the kitchen.<p>

"So, how is my beautiful-sweet-smelling -lily-blossom doing today?" said Shawn as he gave Juliet a soft peck on the cheek.

Juliet smiled and leaned into Shawn, allowing him to wrap his arms around her fully and resting her head on his chest.

"Still feeling a little run down, but much better than before," she answered. Juliet had been feeling terrible off-and-on for the entire weekend. As soon as she thought she was feeling better, she would suddenly be overcome with debilitating nausea. Shawn, as promised, had been waiting on her hand-over-foot the entire time. After two days, she finally seemed to have kicked the bug and had returned to work. "Thanks for taking care of me!," she said, pulling back so she could look him in the eye. "You know...your bedside manner is almost the best I've seen. You'd make a great nurse."

"Almost?!" asked Shawn, somewhat insulted. "Who could possibly beat me? Was it Declan? Please tell me it wasn't Declan!"

"Declan?! Why are you still on that?" asked a bewildered Juliet. "I haven't thought about him in years."

"He's just so much better than me," Shawn whined. "Taller, fitter, richer, more knowledgeable at 80's pop culture trivia, better hair… _Better hair_, Jules!"

"I like your hair more," she said putting her fingers through it and leaning closer to him.

"For chrise-sakes, Jules, the man has a private jet, a personal pastry chef, and even his own Curt Smith! It's not fair!"

"Shawn, you're forgetting one thing," said Juliet.

"What?" Shawn pouted.

"I picked _you. _As awesome as all of those things are, I picked _you_ over all of those things. You mean more to me than any of that stuff. Even with everything that's happened, I don't regret my choice. Not one bit." Shawn settled and smiled. She did make a good point. "So, stop being so insecure!" she teased.

"Ok," said Shawn sheepishly. "So, who is it then? Who beat me in the nurse-skills department?"

"My mom of course! No one will ever beat Mom." Shawn was reminded of all of the times he was sick as a child and comforted by the presence of his mother. "True dat!" he agreed. "No one ever beats Mom. Although…you may have a good chance if you wear one of those sexy nurse's outfits. We'll see when it's my turn to be laid up in bed."

"Maybe…but I wouldn't get your hopes up." Juliet smiled and giggled lightly, then hugged Shawn closer and kissed him gently on the lips. He kissed her back more passionately, and then the two of them broke apart, knowing, though not saying, that it wasn't the time or place for what their bodies were wanting to do that moment. Since Juliet had been sick, it had been a while since they had been intimate.

"So…we should get back to the case," said Juliet.

"Do we have toooo?" asked Shawn in a childish tone

"Yes, Shawn. We need to figure out who ransacked your dad's house and why."

"Yes, indeed we do," said Shawn, looking back at the scene "…but one more kiss first" he said, leaning back into her." She allowed him one more kiss and then they both returned to the living room.

The couple were joining the rest of the crowd in the investigation, when the Chief's cell phone rang. She answered it and informed everyone she was wanted back at the station. "Call me when you have anything," she announced.

Just then, Henry's voice rang out. "Wait! I have something!" Everyone, including the Chief who was only paces from the door, turned to look at Henry. "…Or rather, I don't have something," he corrected. "Something is missing."

"What is it?" said the Chief.

"It's a ring," said Henry. "My mother's engagement ring. It was in this drawer, but now it's not here."

Shawn's and Gus's eyes widened as their heads turned towards each other. They knew which ring he was talking about. That ring was not missing, but instead at that very moment was stored inside a silly putty egg in Shawn's top desk drawer at the Psych office.

Gus screwed up his face at Shawn with a look that said, "I TOLD you. Now look what you've gotten yourself into."

Shawn looked guilty, but wouldn't dare let anyone see, especially Juliet.

* * *

><p><strong>As always, thanks for reading and please comment or review. <strong>


	4. Chapter 3: The Ring

**Here is Chapter 3 some new, some old. Enjoy.**

* * *

><p>"Dangit Shawn," cursed Gus as they entered the Psych office. "You <em>told <em>me you were going to return that ring to your Dad's!"

"I was!" defended Shawn. "I just…didn't say when"

Gus clicked his tongue. Through all of the 30-something years that they had been friends, Gus could still barely tolerate Shawn's lack of responsibility.

"What are you worried about anyway?" said Shawn. "Technically, the ring is mine. Gamagama Spencer wanted me to give it to my future bride."

"That's not totally true and you know it!" said Gus, "According to the will it was to stay in your Dad's possession until he gives you his blessing. You should have asked him for it instead of taking it without his knowledge."

"What makes you think I haven't asked him?" challenged Shawn.

"Shawn, come on. It's _you._ When do you ever get your Dad's permission to do anything?"

"Ok, that's a fair," Shawn shrugged in agreement. "But…consider this. What if tomorrow, Jules and I are taking a stroll on the beach, and out-of-the-blue Foreigner shows up singing '_Waiting for a Girl Like You' _at the same time that a shooting star streaks across the clear starry sky. I gotta be ready, Man!"

"Foreigner is playing in Miami tomorrow, Shawn" stated Gus in a deep and unsettling tone, steadily glaring at Shawn.

Shawn frantically attempted another convincing argument that didn't come. "So…ok then, what if…?" Wait! How do you even _know _that?"

"I follow Mick Jones on Twitter," Gus answered, momentarily forgetting his ire and turning his scowl into an enthusiastic grin.

"Really?" said Shawn eagerly. "I gotta look him up. Is Gimbel on there too? Ooo! What about Gramm?"

"Yeah, but Gramm left the band in- Shawn!" Gus yelled, suddenly aware that he was supposed to be angry at his best friend at the moment. "Don't change the subject on me!"

"You were the one who brought up Mick! I was just-"

"Shawn! What is wrong with you?! You know that you and Juliet are not ready yet." Shawn attempted to make an argument, but Gus spoke over him. "You don't need an 'emergency ring.' You and I both know that you are going to lose that ring before you even have the courage to actually give it to her, anyway. Either that, or she'll find it first and then you'll have a lot of explaining to do.

"Yeah, yeah…I know," Shawn admitted, finally getting serious. "Jules and I aren't ready. We _just_ got back together, and I'm still trying to win her trust back after the whole 'I'm-not-really-a-psychic' thing. It is definitely not the time to bring up the subject of marriage. I guess I just was holding onto it because…I don't know. I don't know why I was holding onto it. I just…I know she's the one, Gus. I don't want to miss my chance."

"I know, Shawn. But if you really don't want to lose her, you can't mess it up by taking things too fast," said Gus. "You've gotta do this the right way." Shawn took in his friend's advice and nodded. He knew that Gus was right. He should have returned the ring long ago, or better yet, never have taken it from his Dad's drawer in the first place.

"Now you _have to_ tell your Dad that you have it," Gus scolded

"I know!" responded Shawn, defensively. "I just couldn't say anything while Jules was standing there. I'm bringing it over to him right now." Shawn walked over to his desk and retrieved a silly putty egg. The ring inside jingled slightly when he picked it up.

"Really?" said Gus in disbelief "I thought we agreed that toys are not acceptable storage containers for priceless jewelry."

"This," said Shawn holding up the egg, "is not a toy. It is a _container_ in which a toy is packaged so that it can be _sold_ in a _store_. I simply chose to re-utilize it. The three 'R's, Gus. Recycle, Reee…tain, Re-utilize. I am just trying to do my part to save the planet. I thought you'd appreciate that."

"Reduce. Reuse. Recycle," Gus corrected. "And all I'm hearing are excuses."

"Don't worry Gus. I'm going to return the ring to my Dad right now. He is going to kill me, but at least we can get this whole ordeal straightened out before leading the case in the wrong direction."

* * *

><p>"I don't get it, O'Hara. What is it that you see in that idiot?" asked Lassiter looking over to Juliet who sat in the passenger seat of his Ford Fusion.<p>

"We are not discussing this, Carlton," said Juliet through gritted teeth. "Give it a rest."

Carlton continued as if he had not even heard his partner. "I thought you had finally come to your senses when you finally kicked Spencer out, but for some god-forsaken reason you took him back. Now, I know I'm not always the most….sensitive of people, but I could tell that whatever he did, you were hurting."

Juliet gulped and tried to keep from reminding herself of the betrayal she felt from Shawn's lie.

"Thanks for your concern Carlton, but anything that happens between Shawn and me is personal and is between the two of us." Juliet picked up a glazed doughnut from a box that sat in her lap and took a large bite. She hadn't eaten breakfast that morning and was now ravenously hungry.

Lassiter asked in as much as a caring voice as he could, which only came across as creepy, "What is it that he did to you?"

"None of your busssinessss," she droned looking steadfastly at the road in front of them and away from her partner. She continued to munch on the doughnut until it had completely disappeared into her mouth. She swallowed and wiped the sugar from her fingers with a napkin.

"Did he cheat on you?!" demanded Carlton. "Because if he cheated on you–"

"No! Carlton, he didn't cheat on me." Juliet turned to look Lassiter in the eye. "It wasn't anything like that." Juliet sighed and pleaded in a softer serious voice. "Just let it go, Carlton. _Please_."

Lassiter was immediately brought to silence by her tone, and accepted that he had overstepped his bounds. "Ok," he said simply.

Just as the two came to an unspoken mutual agreement not to speak of the subject any further, Lassiter pulled his Fusion in front of the Psych office and looked over to his junior detective who was gobbling down a second doughnut as if she were a starving child from Africa. "Sheesh, O'Hara! You'd think you hadn't eaten in a week!"

"That's almost true," she responded. "I've barely eaten anything for the three days and missed breakfast this morning. I'm _starving_." She finished the doughnut she was eating and took another from the box on her lap.

"Did you really have to take the whole box, though?" Lassiter asked looking at her strangely. "You know Dobson will throw a tantrum if he doesn't get his daily Boston Cream."

"I didn't know how many I would eat. Want one?" she offered.

"Yeah, sure…I'll take one," he agreed, taking a plain doughnut from the box carefully, unsure of how to handle Juliet's new appreciation for doughnuts. They both got out of the car taking their confections with them, and were about to enter the Psych office, only to be met with Shawn on his way out.

"J – Jules!" said Shawn, surprised to see the subject of the conversation he had just been discussing with Gus standing in front of him. The next thing he noticed was the tasty treat in her hand and then Lassiter standing behind her, with his half-eaten treat in his hand. "Doughnuts! Lassie?" he said as he gave Juliet a quick hug and a peck on the cheek, trying not to get chocolate icing on his clothes in the process. He glanced to the tall detective and then back to Juliet. "Did you bring one for me? I mean, a doughnut, not a Lassie."

"There are more in the car. Whhyyy are you holding silly putty?" asked Juliet.

Shawn tried not to panic as he came up with an explanation and shoved the red egg into his pocket. "I…uuhhh…well you know my Dad lost his putty and I said he could borrow mine…sooo…I was just gonna, you know…bring it over to him….right now."

"Uh…Ok," said Juliet furrowing her brow curiously and then remembering that this _was _Shawn, let it go. By now she'd learned not to ask too many questions.

"Gus! Doughnuts in Lassie's car!" Shawn yelled to his buddy through the open office door, to which a cocoa-buttery black blur brushed by them and had the box of doughnuts in his hand in mere seconds.

Lassiter, getting frustrated, grunted, "Boys! This is not a social call and we didn't come to bring you dessert. This is serious."

Reminded of the reason they had come, Juliet's expression became stern. "Lassiter's right. The Chief sent us here to find out if there is anything you know about a suspicious man roaming the area…there have been several reports, including one from a young girl who witnessed someone trying to enter your office."

Shawn's and Gus's mouths dropped. They looked at each other seriously and shrugged, corroborating that neither of them knew a thing.

"I…I'm sorry, Jules. We don't know anything…" Shawn turned around and checked the area around the door. At first he didn't notice anything strange, but then squinted closely at the lock which looked to have been scratched. "Actually, wait…" he said holding out his hands, faking the action of absorbing the local energy, which he did only for Lassiter's benefit. "Someone _was _here. He was...picking his nose! No that's not it. Picking his lotto numbers! No, not that either... Picking up chicks? No... Picking...THE LOCK! Yeah, he was picking the lock…but I believe he failed."

"Weslock Brand, most secure knobs out there," said Gus in self-praise for his successful choice in office security.

"Yeah, that's nice buddy, but why would someone want to break into the Psych Office?" Both men and the two detectives shrugged and shook their heads. "First someone wandering around my Dad's place, then a break-in there. Now someone is wandering miles away around this area and trying to break into my office? What is going on here?"

"We get reports of suspicious strangers roaming different parts of town all the time," said Lassiter. "…especially near parks and beaches like both this and Henry's neighborhoods. It could just be a coincidence." Lassiter's speculation did little to convince any of the others though.

"Gus, you'd better go to Weslock and get another lock, and a dead-bolt, and one of those chain thingies," said Shawn.

"Weslock is a brand, not a store, Shawn," corrected Gus.

"Whatever! Just get this place secure. My collection of not-actually-rare Beanie Babies are in there for goodness sakes!"

* * *

><p>Shawn pulled his motorcycle into Henry's driveway, took a deep breath, and entered his boyhood home. He found Henry starting to clean up the mess left behind by the mysterious black-suited man.<p>

"Anything else missing?" asked Shawn trying not to show his guilt over the upcoming confession.

"No…No…Nothing," said Henry, obviously still perplexed over the strange events. "What could he possibly want with Mom's ring? It's starting to seem like he _was_ just a guy looking for money and valuables. I doubt he would have any special interest in that ring. I'm sure it's worth a few bucks, but it's nothing special."

"Maybe…maybe…" Shawn mumbled

"What's wrong with you?" said Henry, noticing Shawn acting suspicious.

"Dad, I am indeed sensing that this dude had no interest in Grandma's ring," said Shawn putting his finger to his temple.

"Sensing? Really, Shawn?" Henry criticized. "You realize we are the only two people in this room."

"Sorry, it's a force of habit now," said Shawn impatiently. He put down his hand. "I'm '_suspecting_' then"

"What makes you say that?" Henry asked.

"Because of this," said Shawn pulling the ring from his pocket and holding it up for his dad to see. Shawn looked shamefully at his feet.

"You? YOU? You stole my mother's ring?!" Henry yelled with anger.

Shawn flinched and responded feebly, "Technically…"

"No. Not technically!" Henry cut in, knowing where Shawn was going. You know the conditions of your grandmother's will. The ring is not yours until I give it to you with my blessing. You stole it. Plain and simple."

"Alright, Dad, I stole it," confessed Shawn.

Henry look satisfied and held his hand out to receive the ring, but Shawn hesitated.

"Dad, are you saying that you don't want me to marry Juliet?"

"What? I didn't say that." Henry paused and then asked in surprise, "_Are _you planning on asking her to marry you?" Henry had always been fond of Juliet and would have been thrilled to have her as a daughter-in-law, but he also knew that his son, despite being in his mid-thirties, was not ready for a commitment like that.

"No…Yes…I mean, I was…I almost did that time we went to Ojai, but the timing wasn't right. And the timing isn't quite right just now either. But someday, yes, I'd like to ask Juliet to marry me."

"You've had this thing since your Ojai trip?! That was more than a year ago!" Henry yelled.

"You really should have a better system to keep track of your valuables, Dad," Shawn suggested smartly.

Henry fumed, but resisted the urge to strangle his son. As he had always done since Shawn was a boy, he counted to ten and started speaking in a calmer tone. "Well son, when the time is right you let me know. I will give you my blessing and return the ring to you. But in the meantime, it's my duty to hold on to it."

"Haha. You said Doody!," chuckled Shawn.

Henry rolled his eyes while Shawn placed the ring in Henry's still open hand. "I am sure the ring is safer with me anyhow. I know how easily you lose things."

"You have noo…idea..," said Shawn to himself. He wouldn't even bother to tell his dad how he almost lost it for good at Ojai…or when Juliet unknowingly sold it to an 11-year-old boy thinking she was only selling him a Thundercat.

"I'll call the chief and let her know I 'found' the ring," said Henry. "Damn! That was our only lead."

"Not necessarily. Dad, there's something else you need to know."

"What?" said Henry preparing himself for bad news.

"Someone tried to break into the Psych office…I think. The evidence isn't strong but Gus and I are upping security just in case."

"Huh," said Henry to himself, shaking his head and trying to make sense of everything.

"Look…uh, why don't I stay and help you clean?" suggested Shawn. "Maybe one of us will come up with something."

Henry accepted Shawn's offer and the two of them got to picking up books and knick-knacks and placing them on the shelves. Henry picked up a small preserved mackerel in a frame that had been hanging on the wall - the first fish that Shawn had caught, and was reminded of the mackerels that he and Ed caught just days earlier. Then it came back to him. The vision of a man that he thought had been his imagination - a lanky man slinking almost unnoticed beside his boat.

Noticing his Dad standing still and staring intently at his first mackerel, Shawn smirked and had to say something. "Getting a little nostalgic over there?" he asked.

"No," he said without even turning to face his son. "I think I'm being followed. Maybe both of us."

* * *

><p><strong>I got a review from Checkerz saying that the ring that Shawn had on the show was actually bought using Gus's credit card and he was lying about it being his grandmother's. I am a stickler for staying consistent with the show, so I actually went back and analyzed the few episodes featuring the ring just to see if I was wrong. I can honestly say, I don't see any evidence to suggest that Shawn was lying about his grandmother's ring. I think he <em>was<em> dishonest with Gus about "not being able to look at it" and having plans to "put it away," but could never get away with lying about using Gus's credit card. Gus would certainly call him out on it and insist he return it to the store, which he didn't. I wondered what the rest of you think? **

**In any case, for the purpose of this story, the ring was Grandma Spencer's ring. The show indeed never mentioned anything about the will and having the ring stay in Henry's possession. That part was my own invention. Aside from that one fact, this story should be consistent with the show up through season 7, but obviously not with season 8, which technically makes it an AU fic now.**

**Thanks for reading and reviewing!**


	5. Chapter 4: No Leads

**Here, in Chapter 4, you might notice that a few events have been rearranged. I trying to added a little more complexity to the case so I have to move things around. I've been trying to add more humor too, but I've been having trouble coming up with some good jokes and references :(. At least there is a little more Shawn/Gus banter. I added one more kinda funny line in the previous chapter that somehow got deleted when I uploaded it. Maybe you can spot it. It's not LOL funny, but I thought Shawn needed to say something goofy there, so I had to put it in.**

**I have the next chapter completely written already too. I'll probably upload it tomorrow.**

* * *

><p>It was 8:00 AM, which was ridiculously early for a client meeting according to Shawn, but Gus had set up the meeting, stating that the client had requested the time and that he and Shawn couldn't afford to be picky. Business had been a little slower than usual and they could use the cash.<p>

Shawn was tired. He had been tossing and turning all night, trying to wrap his brain around the recent events. He couldn't stop thinking that if someone were targeting both himself and his Dad, it likely had something to do with the cover-up of Veronica Towne's murder at the Blue Derby. With Henry's former colleagues Gamble and Atwater dead and Jerry Carp behind bars, it seemed that there was nothing more to it. But perhaps there was something he overlooked…a piece of evidence that either he or his Dad might have that would indicate someone else was involved or that the case wasn't as clear-cut as it seemed. He couldn't for the life of himself imagine what that could be, though. And then there was the probably more likely explanation that the break-in at his Dad's was completely unrelated to both the Towne case and to the supposed attempted break-in at the Psych office. After finding out that attempted break-in was filed by a young mother who reported that her 7-year-old daughter was the only eye witness, he had to wonder if there really was anything to it. Maybe Gus had scratched the lock just trying to insert the key. But really? How hard was it to put a key in a lock? Of course, Gus always had trouble pushing pegs into the right holes on his Lite Brite, ruining far too many of their glowing masterpieces - once the peg poked through the wrong part of the paper pattern there was never any going back. He wouldn't put it past him to miss the lock.

"Did you get those new locks yet, Gus?" Shawn asked his partner through a yawn.

"Someone is coming by to install them this afternoon," answered Gus. "And just so you know, Shawn, locks only work when you actually use them. We were lucky I was the last to leave the office yesterday. Otherwise the door would have been unlocked and the guy just would have walked right in."

"Ok, Gus, I got it. Lock the door when I leave. But why with the third degree so early in the morning? Huh? We haven't even had our morning coffee yet," complained Shawn.

"You don't even like coffee," argued Gus, "And I've been up for two hours already."

"You're right. I don't like coffee," said Shawn. "But I do like muffins, and muffins usually go with coffee. Who is this guy that we are meeting with anyway?"

"His name is Pinkerton," answered Gus.

"Pinkerton?" said Shawn, guffawing at the silly name.

"Yeah. A Mr. Neville Pinkerton," said Gus succinctly. "He wants us to look into some missing jewelry, family heirlooms."

"Neville?...Pinkerton?...poor dude," said Shawn shaking his head and chuckling. "And, missing jewelry…?" He couldn't help but notice the irony.

"Yeah. He thinks it was stolen by his uncle and wants us to look into it," Gus continued.

"Hmm. Sounds boring," said Shawn.

Gus rolled his eyes just as they both heard someone enter the office. A very formal looking man walked in. He was pale-skinned, thin and lanky with black hair that was parted too perfectly to the side and plastered to his head with shiny hair gel. "Misters Spencer and Guster, I assume?" he asked in a foreign accent that neither Shawn nor Gus could place."

"Yes. Indeed. We are they," said Shawn, subtly mocking his accent. Gus elbowed him in the gut. "And you must be Mr. Pinkerton," continued Shawn, dropping the mocking tone this time.

"Yes. I am," Pinkerton replied. "What an interesting establishment you have here," he continued while starting to wander around the room. He picked up a Happy Meal toy from Shawn's desk and inspected it as if he had never seen such a thing in his life. He looked around at items on the shelves, posters and photos on the wall. He pointed to a photo of Shawn and Juliet that was sitting on Shawn's desk. "Your wife?" he asked.

"Girlfriend," corrected Shawn starting to feel a little uneasy.

"I see," Pinkerton said with an awkward impression that he was making a mental note of Shawn's answer.

Shawn wanted to interrupt the awkwardness and get on with the meeting. "So...um…what can we help you with Mr. Pinkerton?"

"Oh. Yes. Of course," Pinkerton said, strangely like he had forgotten why he was there in the first place. "Well you see, I have for some time been in possession of some very valuable family heirlooms...most of it being jewelry that belonged to my late grandmother…Oh, my sweet Nana," he interrupted into his own narrative. "I loved her so! Do you have a grandmother with whom you are close, Mr. Spencer?"

Feeling that the question was out of place and a bit personal, he reluctantly answered that he had been close to his Grandma Spencer, who had passed away when he was nine.

"Oh. I am so sorry to hear that Mr. Spencer. So you _are _familiar with the special relationship between a boy and his grandmother," Pinkerton said with a satisfying smile on his face, which then turned back into a frown. "So you will understand that these heirlooms, though they do have quite a bit of monetary value, are immensely more valuable to me sentimentally."

"I understand," said Shawn, though he was so weirded out by this strange man that he was having a hard time finding his sympathy. Gus's silence and the look on his face suggested that he found Pinkerton creepy too.

"Good. Good," said Pinkerton smiling again. "You see, the heirlooms have gone missing…just disappeared from my safety deposit box."

"And you want us to find them," implored Shawn, eager to get to the point.

"Indeed," Pinkerton responded, "though I can tell you now that I suspect my uncle may have something to do with it. He was always jealous about the heirlooms coming to me when my mother…his sister, passed away. I just can't get him to admit it, and I can't find any proof. Can you help me?"

Shawn really did not want to take this case. "Um. I'll have to discuss it with my colleague. Please excuse us." He pulled Gus into the other room. "What do you think?" he whispered.

"That guy gives me the jeebies," answered Gus.

"Me too," said Shawn, glad it wasn't just him that thought so. "But you said we can't be too picky. We could use the cash."

"I did," said Gus "But…" Gus made a sound like he had just seen a ghost.

"You're right," agreed Shawn. "We _don't_ take the case."

Gus agreed and they returned to Mr. Pinkerton to break the news.

"We're sorry to say…" began Shawn

Pinkerton interrupted. "I'll pay you $5000 plus 5% the value of the heirlooms if they are returned to me."

"We'll take the case!" answered Shawn and Gus in unison.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile at the station, Henry was having a discussion with Chief Vick in her office concerning the break-in at his house.<p>

"It just doesn't make any sense…" said Henry. "I _know_ there is more to this case than what it seems. I've been a detective for a long time and I can tell when something isn't quite right. I am certain this guy was not at my home by coincidence. I just _can't _figure out what he was after." Although Henry was now retired (for the second time), he couldn't help himself. He was a detective to the core, and knew he couldn't rest until all of the clues made sense."

"I'm not doubting your instincts, but I'm sorry Henry," apologized the Chief. "I am afraid our hands are tied. Nothing of significant value was taken. We have no description of the guy, aside from his unusual attire. No finger prints. No reports of similar occurrences other than the one at your son's office, which is a shaky report at best. There are just no leads."

"Did you at least check into Carp?" Henry was referring to the wayward cop who covered up a two-decade old murder and had shot Henry last year in order to keep his secret hidden. "Maybe…I don't know why or how…but maybe it had something to do with the Towne case," pleaded Henry.

"Lassiter and O'Hara are looking into that," said the Chief. "But, I think there is no reason to think that Carp or anyone else involved in the Towne cover-up had anything to do with the break-in."

"Yeah…yeah…you are probably right," agreed Henry. "I _know_ you're right… I know you have done everything you can, Karen. It's just hard not being able to do anything about it."

"I know the feeling," she said compassionately. "Just…hang in there. Go home. Enjoy your retirement. And if anything else suspicious happens, give us a call."

"Thanks Karen," said Henry, a little dejectedly but understanding her position.

* * *

><p>Outside the Chiefs office, Juliet and Lassiter were settled into their desks trying to find any leads or clues they could from all of the photos taken at Henry's home, and coming up with very little. Shawn and Gus were at the Psych office meeting with their client and Shawn had made plans to bring lunch to the station later for Juliet.<p>

"Are you sure you're ok, O'Hara?" Lassiter asked again noticing Juliet slumped drowsily on her desk.

"I'm fine! Stop asking me that!" she answered, annoyed and sitting herself up straighter so as to look better than she was. In truth, though, she wasn't fine. She felt the nausea that had troubled her for the last few days returning. She was starting to worry and made a mental note to see the doctor if she wasn't feeling back to normal in a day or two. "Let's just get this paperwork done, please, so I can keep my lunch date with Shawn." Lassiter's eyes rolled slightly at the mention of Shawn.

Juliet got up from her desk to bring some files to the filing cabinet and felt a wave of dizziness that caused her to spill the files all over the floor. "Damn it!" she said as she leaned over to gather them up. Lassiter wanted to say something but held his tongue. Upon standing back up, Juliet felt her stomach lurch.

Before Lassiter knew what had happened, Juliet made a run for the ladies room and he looked after her, concerned. The Chief, who was just passing by, also noticed O'Hara rush suddenly toward the restroom and furrowed her brow at Lassiter, expecting him to explain. He shrugged as did the Chief who returned to her office. When Juliet returned looking woozy, Lassiter interrogated her. "You threw up, didn't you?!"

"That's none of your business!" she snapped.

"Yes you did! O'Hara, you are sick and I am ordering you to go home now and get some rest!"

"Oh. You're _ordering _me now. Well, I'm sorry but as long as my boyfriend and his dad are in danger, I am going to stay here and keep working on this." She hated the thought of sitting at home when she knew there was something she could be doing to help the case.

"O'Hara!" he yelled, giving her a look that said, "This is final!" Then he softened his tone. As much as he hated it, he knew that Spencer was important to her and he would do anything to keep his partner from getting hurt. "I'll take care of it. Don't you worry. Just rest up."

"OK. Fine," she responded grudgingly, and packed up her things. Before she left, she sent Shawn a text….

_"Not feeling well again. Lassiter sent me home. We should probably cancel lunch. Sorry sweetie. See you later at home. XOXO!"_

…then hopped into her lime green Volkswagen and started the short drive home.

Despite being bitter about feeling sick and having to go home, Juliet was looking forward to spending another quiet evening with her boyfriend. They had had their issues recently, but she knew she was lucky to have him. It was still difficult for her to understand why he had lied to her for so long about who he really was or why he could be so childish and irresponsible sometimes. But she knew that he loved her and would always be there for her. She knew he had never lied to her about his feelings for her.

Her mind wandered back to that night about a month or so ago. It was about a week before they _officially _got back together…that night that he disappeared to help Gus, but ultimately destroyed a crime scene at Gus's office….

She had allowed him to spend the evening with her…just an innocent night out. At the time she still wasn't sure how she felt about Shawn's lie, but she was starting to cool off around him. He had been unrelenting in trying to win her back and begged that they at least go out to their favorite dinner spot. Dinner was followed by ice cream and a round or two of mini-golf, and by that time being with him was starting to feel normal and comfortable again. They ended up going out for a drink at Tom Blair's Pub and then escaping the noisy atmosphere to the nearby beach. At first they just walked and talked about random things; work stuff, Shawn's favorite episode of the A-Team, the pros and cons of seeing Kenny G live – innocuous things, which then led to sharing some of their favorite memories of each other. The gentle swishing of the ocean and the cool breeze and starry night sky combined with that irresistible crooked smile and a touch of intoxication was enough to make her knees weak. And when he leaned in to kiss her she didn't stop him. His warm breath and soft lips that still tasted like pineapple even though she knew he hadn't eaten any since breakfast, if he even had any that day at all, gave her such a pleasant and safe feeling. It was so familiar but somehow long forgotten during all of the drama….the drama that suddenly didn't seem like so much of a big deal anymore. Next thing she knew she was inviting him home.

Making love to him was not like anything she had ever experienced with anyone else, and this time was one of the most incredible. He was so gentle, yet passionate. She had missed his touch so much that she couldn't help but be so uncharacteristically…impulsive…so…unprepared!The Bug screeched to a halt. "Oh God," Juliet exclaimed out loud. "I'm late!"

* * *

><p><strong>I know a lot of this is the same as before, but please review and let me know what you think of the changes. Thanks for reading!<strong>


	6. Chapter 5: Taking the Test

**I liked this interaction between Shawn and Gus so I kept it in and made just a few changes to it. The second part of this chapter is taken from my one-shot 'Taking the Test' which I used as the name of the chapter.**

* * *

><p>After the uncomfortable meeting with Mr. Pinkerton, Shawn and Gus made their regular morning stop at <em>Coffee with Attitude, <em>and were walking back to the office, arms filled with an assortment of muffins, bagels, and pastries. Shawn had again won the daily movie trivia question (The first word spoken by Ally Sheedy in _The Breakfast Club _was "Vodka") earning them a free tab.

"So Gus...?" Shawn started. "You haven't told me what's going on with you and Rachael."

"That's because I'm not really sure, Shawn," said Gus. "You know…she's still in London…working out her visa issues, but she's coming back for a short visit. She's supposed to get here tomorrow and I'm picking her up at the airport…and… He trailed off."

"…and what?" asked Shawn.

"I really think she is going to break up with me," said Gus sadly. "That's what this is. It's the break-up visit. She couldn't say it over the phone so she's coming here to break-up in person."

"What? She couldn't use FaceTime? Skype? Or even Google Hangouts?" Shawn quipped. "Personally, I think Hangouts is highly underrated. In my experience it's been the most user friendly and had the least amount of audio-visual interruptions. Not to mention you can have your conversation while wearing a virtual dog mask, or clown costume, or whatever your heart desires..."

"I can already see how this is going to go," worried Gus, not even acknowledging Shawn's rambling. "I'm going to pick her up, we'll spend the afternoon together. I'll take her home, and then she'll say,_ 'Gus, we need to talk. Max's dad and I are getting back together and we are moving back to London, so I have to break up with you.'_" Gus was nearly bursting into tears.

Shawn fought the urge to laugh (Gus was always so sensitive and overly dramatic), then he got serious. "Look buddy. I know you really like this one, and more importantly _I _like her too. But…"

Gus cut him off. "Don't give me any of that 'there's other fish in the sea' crap. I don't want to hear it. There will never be any other fish like Rachael. I mean, not that she's a _fish. _She's a person. Rachael is a _person. _She's a gorgeous and exotic cookie-baking _woman _of a person. Those kind of fish…people…_women_ are rare and I may have just have let her swim off into the vast ocean…I mean, _London!_" Gus whimpered in despair.

After waiting out Gus's rant, Shawn finally finished what he was about to say. "Gus, don't be one of those wacky inflatable tube men at the grand opening of a Chrysler dealership. I was _going _to say that you shouldn't jump to conclusions. She likes you too…probably more than you realize. I know you, Gus, and I know how you tend to ruin things for yourself by believing that things aren't going to work out before you even give them a _chance_ to work out. In fact, it's probably my fault that you are that way in the first place…" Gus shot a glare at Shawn, realizing that he was probably right about that much. "…but…that's beside the point," continued Shawn. "My _point _is… don't stop being the Gus that she knows and loves just because you think she might break up with you. If you get jealous, or down-in-the-dumps, or…weird, you are only giving her a reason to not want to be with you. Just make sure she still sees what she would be giving up _if…IF_, Gus…she decided to break up with you. Then…whatever happens will happen."

"Thanks, Shawn," said Gus feeling a little better. "That was actually some good advice."

"_Actually?" _asked Shawn mildly offended as they walked through the front door of the Psych office (that he had forgotten to lock), which was immediately followed by, "Whoa!" when he saw the scene that was waiting for them there.

The office had been ransacked. All of the furniture was moved and overturned. Food, office supplies, and toys were scattered all over the floor. Shawn's computer and various other gadgets had been taken, but some valuable items still remained. Shawn took notice of the pattern in which the place had been searched. It appeared that the drawers had been pulled out of their hinges, just as they were at his Dad's place several days earlier. These small spaces had been searched first followed by spaces under rugs and furniture.

"What is this?!" said Shawn in disbelief, "First my Dad, and now me? Now I'm sure this _cannot _be a coincidence!"

Shawn put down the muffins he still held in his arms on the only uncluttered surface he could find and pulled out his iPhone to report the break-in to the Chief, but before he could press a button, it buzzed. "Text from Jules," he said aloud, and read the message to himself.

_"Shawn, come home now. I need you."_

"Uh…I gotta go!" he said worriedly and headed for the door, not bothering to tell Gus where he was going.

"But Shawn?!" said Gus, giving Shawn a questioning look and tilting his head toward the mess in the room.

"Report it to the Chief, Gus!" said Shawn in both an annoyed and worried tone. "There's something wrong with Jules. I have to go!" He left. Gus looked concernedly at his best friend who was rushing out the door, shrugged, then scanned the scene one more time and pulled out his phone to call the Chief.

* * *

><p>Juliet's lime green Bug screeched to a halt. "Oh, God! I'm Late!" she said.<p>

She didn't know why she even stepped on the brake except to say that it was an involuntary response to the shock. Thankfully no one was following her or she could have caused an accident. Somewhere in her brain a little voice was telling her that she needed to put her foot back on the gas and drive the last two blocks back to her house, but for some reason her limbs weren't getting the message.

She didn't know how this hadn't occurred to her before. She'd been tired, nauseous, and throwing up for the last five days. She went from feeling awful to perfectly fine and ravenously hungry all within the time-span of a day. Not only that, she had been on an emotional roller coaster lately. She could have attributed her unstable emotions to the circumstances – breaking up and getting back together with Shawn was enough to test her emotions, but most of the tough parts had ended weeks ago. They were in a reasonably good place now. The nausea could have been a stomach bug…but they generally didn't last this long. And if her nausea and wacky emotions weren't enough to convince her, then the fact that her period was almost a week late did. _Damn!_ She was generally so organized about everything, especially work stuff, but somehow that little personal detail seemed to have slipped her mind.

A horn sounded from behind her which startled her out of her thought. "Sorry!" she yelled out the window. She drove the two more blocks to her house and then kept driving. She was going to make a quick stop before she went home.

She parked her car outside of _Walgreen's _and just sat there for a minute or two before finally turning it off and heading inside. She walked by the front counter, the make-up aisle, the shelves of goofy toys and knick-knacks, and past the photo center, all the way to the back corner where the boxes of pregnancy tests were arranged neatly to the right of the condoms as if they were there for the sole purpose of mocking her. Her eyes scanned the many different types and brands of tests. There were too many options for her frantic mind right now. She settled with randomly grabbing three different ones, then stormed up to the counter, paid as quickly as possible ignoring the knowing smirk on the cashier's face, and high-tailed it into her car and back to her house.

Once in the bathroom, she fished the three boxes out of the brown paper bag and lined them up on the counter. For some reason, the task before her seemed overwhelming. It wasn't that she had never taken a pregnancy test before. She had taken a test a few times when she was a few days late or when she knew she had forgotten her pill. But those times, it was more for precautionary measures and she wasn't at all surprised when they were negative. But this time…this time the signs were blatantly obvious. She knew that there was a very good chance that this time was for real…and somehow she just _knew. _She could just _feel _that this time was different.

Which should she start with first? What difference did it make? Should she take them all now or just take one and save the others for later? What if it was negative? Could she really be sure that the test just hadn't worked or that it was too early to tell? She picked up one box, then put it down and then picked up another. She was about to open it but stopped and slammed it down on the counter with a frustrated scream.

Maybe she shouldn't be doing this alone. She should call Shawn. This was just as much his experience as hers. He was her boyfriend, after all. It was his job to help her through emotional things. Her mind hadn't even wondered yet how he would react to this, but all she knew was that she wanted him there. She wanted him to be there to hold her when the test read positive…or negative. She frowned. She surprised herself when she thought of the possibility of the test being negative and she felt a twinge of disappointment. Did she really want this? This was all too confusing. She needed Shawn's embrace to calm her down in that way she couldn't describe but it somehow always did. She decided to call him, but after two or three failed attempts at deciding what she was going to say when he answered, she settled on texting.

_Shawn. Come home now. I need you._

Now to wait…

Oh, who was she kidding?! She couldn't just sit here and wait while those boxes of tests were staring at her from their spot on the bathroom counter. She swiftly grabbed the first one she could reach and ripped it open. She quickly read the instructions and took the test, then set it on the bathroom counter and retreated to the hallway for the waiting game. She figured the only way to keep her from staring at it and driving herself nuts while it rendered was to be in a separate room.

It was the longest two minutes of her life. Every thought of how this would affect her present and future flashed through her mind. Her work…her job was demanding and dangerous…how could she keep up that pace while she had a baby? Shawn's job was just as bad…or worse…and…Oh God! Shawn? How would he even handle this? He was so immature sometimes. Could she trust him to be a good parent or would she have to put in all of the extra effort to fix his mistakes just like her mom had always done when her father messed up. What if Shawn didn't even want it? Shit! Why hadn't this discussion ever come up before? She knew he would never leave her alone with this…that much she was sure. But would he regret it one day? Would he feel like it had unfairly tied him down? Would it damage their already awkward relationship beyond repair? All of these thoughts were threatening to make her to want to cry and run away from it all. But she knew she wouldn't. If there was one thing that all of her thoughts had in common, it was that they all involved her keeping this baby…if there really was a baby…A baby…her baby…Shawn's baby. Their child. She had to know for sure and her watch indicated that the test result should be ready by now.

She took a deep breath and picked up the test, covering the result with her hand to keep herself from looking until she was good and ready. She put down the toilet seat and sat on the lid. She reminded herself of what the instructions said; one pink line for negative, two for positive. She was feeling pretty confident that she knew the result but she was still afraid to look. She wasn't quite ready for reality to kick in yet. After a good sixty seconds she finally built up the courage to look into the tiny window. _One…two pink lines_, she counted. _Two lines means positive_. It was still sinking in. _Positive means…a baby_. "Wow…this is really happening," she whispered. Her hand covered her mouth in disbelief.

She immediately panicked and refused to believe that the test had been accurate, causing her to rip open the other two boxes and proceed to take both tests. Several minutes later she was staring at the results of three tests. The one with the two pink lines, another with a red plus-sign, and the third with clear text saying "pregnant." It was conclusive. She was going to have a baby. She had a baby growing inside her. Her hand touched her stomach. She had a little Spencer in there. She was stunned, terrified, and overjoyed all at the same time.

Just then, she heard the front door open and the big Spencer calling for her. There was no use putting herself through another roller coaster of uncertainty, she might as well tell him now. She had no idea exactly what she was going to say, but she stuffed the positive tests in her back pocket to take with her just in case the words didn't come. It was time to tell Shawn he was going to be a daddy.

"Jules?!" Shawn yelled as he entered the house. Knowing that she had gone home sick again and was now asking for him, he expected that she may be feeling particularly ill and would be waiting on the couch for his return, but he was surprised to find she wasn't there. "Jules, are you here?" he called. He saw her come in from the hallway, looking quite pale and shocked. "Jules? What's wrong?" he asked. "You look like you just saw the _Total Eclipse of the Heart_ video for the first time."

She tried to answer, but her voice only cracked. "I…I…" She just looked at him, her mouth slightly open but no words coming out.

"Sweetheart?" he probed after a few moments.

She realized she had lost all control of her voice and pulled one of the pregnancy tests out from her back pocket and held it out for Shawn to see, her hand shaking.

Shawn's concerned gaze turned into one of shock and disbelief. "Whoa…is…is that what I think it is?" he asked.

She nodded.

His mouth formed the shape of an O. "So…are you?...are we?..."

"Yes," she finally responded, her voice shaky and close to tears. "I'm pregnant. We're going to have a baby."

Shawn just stared at her for a moment, eyes wide and mouth open. He didn't know what to say. Then shaking his head, said "Whew!" with a fake sigh of relief. "So it's _not _an extraterrestrial anal probe?! For a moment there I thought you were going to tell me you'd been abducted by aliens."

"Shawn!" cried Juliet. "How can you be joking at a time like this?" Her face was red and her eyes watery, panic in her voice.

"I'm sorry," he said. "Just, uh…trying to break the tension. But that was wrong. I'm sorry." He stared at her for another few seconds. "Are you sure…? Gus says those things aren't always accurate, you know."

Juliet pulled the other two tests from her pocket. She didn't even have to say anything, but the look on her face told Shawn that they were all positive."

"Oh," said Shawn looking like he was about to lose consciousness. "Whe…when? How? I mean, I know _how_, but…I thought we were careful. The pill?" he choked.

"It had to have been that night…the first time since the break-up. I…I was transitioning to a new pill, and the doctor said to be extra careful at first. We should have used back up…but I wasn't thinking… I'm sorry, Shawn. This is all my fault!"

By this time Juliet was fully crying, and all Shawn could think to do was pull her close and hold her. His mind too, was racing. He wasn't ready to be a father. He wanted more time to just be with Juliet, to eventually plan and implement the perfect proposal, convince her to get married on a recreation of the set of _Love Boat_, then enjoy a few years of wedded bliss, and maybe get a few practice pugs before even thinking about kids. Suddenly, everything was happening backwards.

He pulled himself away from her, holding her by the arms and taking a good look at her, noticing how much more beautiful she seemed than she did just moments earlier. She was having his baby! Despite his shock and intense fear at the prospect of being responsible for another person, he felt joy and excitement welling up inside of him. His fear was too strong though to express it. "It's not your fault. This kind of stuff…it just happens. We are going to be ok," he reassured her, not sure if he even believed it himself.

"What are we going to do?" she pleaded, curling herself back into his embrace.

Shawn answered as simply as he could. "We are going to have a baby, and we are going to be ok." Shawn took Juliet further into his arms and kissed her on top of her head and forehead. Then he took her face into his hands and looked into her glistening eyes. "You are perfect and beautiful and I love you, and no matter what happens…babies…fleets of pugs…alien abductions…I'll always be here," he said and kissed her square on the lips and then resumed their tight embrace, burrowing his face into her lavender-scented hair.

* * *

><p><strong>Maybe you noticed I changed their initial reactions to the pregnancy a bit. In the first version, I thought that they hadn't really freaked out enough considering where they were in their relationship, especially Shawn. Here, Shawn is trying to keep it cool for Juliet who is obviously panicking, but I think I will have him freak out a little more in the next chapter. <strong>

**As always, thanks for reading and reviewing!**


	7. Chapter 6: The Discussion

**It's been a few days, but I didn't want to submit this until I did enough work on later chapters to make sure it fits in with the timing of the case and everything.**

* * *

><p>Shawn and Juliet stood holding each other for what seemed like forever, and both of them were startled when Shawn's phone rang in his pocket. He pulled away from her reluctantly and took out the phone to see Gus's number on the screen. "It's Gus," Shawn told her. He silenced the phone and returned it to his pocket. "I'll call him back later..."<p>

The couple moved to the couch and sat next to each other silently. It wasn't clear to either what was to be said next. Shawn attempted to put in the first word. "Hey, do you realize that if we are in a John Hughes movie right now, you would be Elizabeth McGovern and I'm Kevin Bacon? I've always wanted to be Kevin Bacon! I bet he gets all the free bacon he wants…even the Canadian kind."

Juliet rolled her eyes, but knew that this was Shawn's way of coping so she played along. "I think they were at least married in that movie…and sadly a lot younger than we are," she frowned.

"At least if you are Elizabeth McGovern, you also starred in 'Johnny Handsome' and more recently 'Clash of the Titans' not to mention all of that British stuff. Sure, nothing too recognizable like 'Footloose' or 'Apollo 13', but you've got a steady career going for you."

"Uh huh," said Juliet playing unimpressed.

Before their pointless chatter could turn into any kind of real discussion, Shawn's phone sounded again. He once again retrieved it from his pocket with the intention of ignoring the call, when Juliet grabbed his arm to stop him. Shawn paused and looked at her puzzlingly. "Just answer it," she said.

"You sure?" Shawn asked. I don't want to…"

Juliet interrupted. "You know he is just going keep calling until you answer."

Shawn nodded. She was right. He answered the call.

_"Shawn!" _sounded Gus's voice through the phone. _"Where the hell did you go?! Lassie's here, and the Chief. We kinda need you at our own crime scene!"_

"Alright, Gus," Shawn quietly hissed into his phone, turning his back towards Juliet. She rolled her eyes again. Despite Shawn's efforts to be stealth, she could still hear every word. "I sort of have some more important stuff going on here right now…" Shawn continued.

_"What could be more important than this?! …And don't say an afternoon booty call with Juliet! That doesn't count!"_

Juliet was momentarily offended by Gus's assumption but then decided she didn't have the energy to care at the moment. Her eyes wandered back to the pregnancy tests that were still clutched in her right hand. She set them on the coffee table in front of her and just stared at them. She was still having a hard time believing that all of this was real…that she was going to be a mother, and that the idiot sitting next to her who was currently arguing with his colleague like a child, was the father.

"Ok, Gus. You handle this on your own and I'll pick up your dry cleaning, smoothies for the week are on me – but only pineapple, _and _I'll give you your _Airwolf_ windbreaker back," Shawn bartered.

There was pause while Gus contemplated the offer. _"…Ok, deal. But at least tell me what's going on."_

Shawn looked at his girlfriend who was sitting next to him still staring at the pregnancy tests. "Uhhh….," he said, "I'll have to explain later, buddy. I'm sure you can handle this on your own. I'll be back later." Before Gus could argue any further, Shawn ended the call.

"What was that about?" Juliet asked curiously.

"Oh…uh…someone broke into the Psych office," Shawn explained as nonchalantly as if it were a daily occurrence.

"What?!" Juliet exclaimed. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Well, it really didn't seem so important…in comparison…" Shawn answered gesturing towards the tests.

"You need to go!" said Juliet, suddenly forceful. Shawn was taken slightly aback. "We have plenty of time to talk about this later, but if your office is a crime scene, you need to be there….not only as an investigator but a witness. Carlton is going to need to take your statement."

"But…" Shawn began.

"No buts," interrupted Juliet, and taking his hands into hers. "I promise you, I'll be ok here for a little while. It's your responsibility to be at the Psych office right now. We can talk tonight."

"Um…ok," Shawn agreed reluctantly. "Don't you want to go too, though?"

"I would…but Lassiter and Chief Vick still think I'm 'sick.' They'll be suspicious if I show up at the crime scene now. We need to keep this quiet until we've had a chance to talk about it. It's probably best if I stay here." Shawn nodded in understanding but didn't budge. "Go," Juliet urged.

"You sure you're ok?" Shawn asked to which Juliet replied with a fervent 'Yes.' "Alright, I'll go…we'll talk tonight then?" Juliet nodded and they both finally stood and started towards the door. "I'll bring dinner. Chinese ok?"

"That actually sounds really delicious!" she said wondering if the cravings were beginning already.

"Ok. See you tonight…with some orange chicken and an eggroll," Shawn said just before giving Juliet a soft kiss.

"Mmm, make that sesame chicken and throw in some beef and broccoli and wonton soup," finally pushing Shawn out the door, leaving herself alone to think things over. "Hmm…you must be hungry in there," she said to her stomach.

* * *

><p>Gus was relieved that Shawn had changed his mind and come anyway, though a little disappointed that it probably meant he wasn't getting his windbreaker back. For Shawn, returning to the crime scene after receiving such shocking news from Juliet was not easy, though. As the scene was being processed and Shawn was giving his statement, Gus noticed that Shawn's behavior was off. He was quiet and hadn't made any obscure 80's references or had any "psychic revelations" the whole time. He was so distracted that he wasn't even picking up on the simplest clues.<p>

"Was anything of value taken?" Lassiter questioned Shawn who could only mumble meaningless syllables while his eyes wandered around the room resting on clues of his own childishness and irresponsibility instead of clues that could explain how and why the office had been broken into; a pile of unpaid parking tickets, juvenile toys scattered everywhere, a mess in the sink, a trashcan overflowing with fast food containers – he couldn't even feed himself properly, and worst of all the door knob – he hadn't locked it before leaving for coffee. The break-in was all his fault.

_"How can I possibly be responsible for another person when I can't take care of myself?" _thought Shawn. _"There's no way I can be a father. Jules would be better off without me." _Shawn had the urge to walk right out of the office, hop on his bike, take off and just keeping driving without looking back. The only thing that kept him from doing so was the thought of Juliet being alone and having to carry his burden on her own…the thought of doing that to her and never seeing her again was unbearable.

"Again! Was anything of value taken? Are you even paying attention, Spencer?!" Lassiter yelled impatiently.

"No…uh, yeah…I mean, no. Nothing taken," Shawn mumbled. The Chief took notice of Shawn's odd behavior and looked at him curiously.

"What are you talking about, Shawn?!" said Gus in disbelief. "Both our computers are missing, plus my Xbox and your Nintendo."

"My Nintendo…? Not again." Shawn moaned. _"At least the ring wasn't in it this time," _he thought, and thanked his lucky stars that he had removed it from the office just yesterday. He could tell that Gus was thinking the same thing as well as trying to figure out what was wrong with his best friend.

Shawn was nearly dead silent for the rest of the investigation and hugely unhelpful. As soon as the last officer left the Psych office, Gus confronted him, "Ok. What's going on?"

"Wha..What makes you think anything is going on?" Shawn reacted defensively. He tried to pretend that he hadn't realized how obvious he was.

"Shawn. You've been acting weird ever since you got back from Jules'. Spill!" Gus demanded.

"I can't tell you," said Shawn. "I promised Jules."

Gus crossed his arms, just waiting for Shawn to give in and spill his guts like he knew he always did when there was something this noticeably heavy bothering him. Although Juliet hadn't specifically told him not to tell Gus, Shawn guessed that 'keeping it quiet' likely included keeping it from Gus. "It's…just something between Jules and me," he said. "I can't tell you…at least not right now." He was secretly hoping that Gus would push him further so he could just get it off his chest, however.

Gus knew him well enough to see that he really wanted to say something and indeed pushed further. "Shawn!" he urged.

"OK! OK! You win. I'll tell you!" Shawn pretended to unwillingly give in. Shawn paused. He sighed heavily and paced across the room, Gus noticing his nervousness and becoming silent and concerned.

He didn't know how to begin. "Well, Gus. It appears that I am going to… What I mean to say is that Jules and I are…well, things are going to be changing soon. Big time! You see, I…am going to be a fa…a faaa…" Shawn couldn't bring himself to say the word.

Gus was waiting in anticipation. "A farmer?" he guessed.

"Yes, Gus a farmer!" said Shawn sarcastically. "Jules and I have decided to move to Kansas and start a bunny farm!"

"Well sorry, Shawn. You're not being clear. And just so you know, if you are starting a bunny farm, I'm coming too! Now spit it out!" Gus demanded.

Shawn continued, "Gus…I am going to be a daaaaaaaaa…" Then he took a deep breath and said in one exhale "Jules-is-pregnant-I'm-gonna-be-a-dad."

"What?!" exclaimed Gus. He took a moment to take in the news. "Are you sure?" he asked, mostly out of a lack of anything else to say.

"Yeah," answered Shawn. "…I mean, as sure as three brands of home pregnancy tests are sure."

After a moment of silence Gus spoke again not sure whether to be excited or concerned, "Wow, man. This is huge."

"Tell me about it," said Shawn.

After another silent moment Gus asked carefully, "Shawn, how are you? …I mean, how do you feel about this?"

"Well …to be honest, I'm sorta freaking out!" Shawn's voice began to reach a nervous high pitch. "Gus, I screwed up! I mean, don't get me wrong. The idea of a little person that is half me and half Jules is just plain awesome!" Shawn added with a slight grin which quickly reverted to a look of utter terror. "But…we aren't ready. I love Jules, but I can't be a father! I love her, but I've probably just ruined her life!"

Shawn took a breath and lowered his voice. "She's still freaking out about it, but I know she wants this baby…and I know she wants me to be a father to it…but, even if I try, I am just going to fail. I'll only make things harder on her and then she'll have to quit her job because…how can she be a detective and raise a baby at the same time? And I don't even have a real job! You and my dad are still paying my bills! I am not going to be able to afford a baby. What does a baby even cost, anyway? Like $2000 a year?"

"$10,000," Gus corrected.

"Owww!" moaned Shawn, slumping onto the couch and holding his hand to his heart. "Where am I gonna come up with an extra $10,000? This kid is doomed."

"Shawn," said Gus carefully while sitting down next to his buddy. "I know this is a lot to take in right now…but it doesn't mean you screwed up or that your child is doomed. Despite the fact that you _are _a leech, you do have people that love you and will help you. I also don't think that Juliet will think that you ruined her life. I can't believe I'm saying this, but you _can_ be a father, Shawn. It's not like you have to start tomorrow. You still have some time to figure things out before the baby gets here. And like you said, any baby that comes from you and Juliet is going to be awesome, so you you've got nothing to worry about there."

"Tru Dat!" said Shawn, his mood lightened a little by Gus's words. Shawn took a few deep breaths and continued. "And you know what makes this even cooler? You are going to be 'Uncle Burton'."

"I don't care what my Uncle Burton says, I am going to be 'Uncle Gus'." said Gus. "But seriously, man," began Gus with certainty this time. "Congrats to you and Jules!" Gus patted Shawn on the back. "I know it's scary right now, but once you get over the initial shock I know both of you are going to be excited about this."

"Thanks, man," said Shawn. He was glad Gus had managed to calm him down a bit but he was still nervous about his upcoming discussion with Juliet.

* * *

><p>Later that evening, Shawn brought home Chinese take-out for himself and Juliet, as promised, and filled her in on the case. "Lassiter thinks the break-ins are unrelated…someone trying to steal cash or valuables, or whatnot…"<p>

"It would certainly be one hell of a coincidence," she said. "Break-ins at both your Dad's and the Psych office in the same week? Two "random" break-ins in two different parts of town…no other break-ins reported in either area…and both of them happen to be Spencer property? _Random? _I don't buy it. There _has _to be a connection."

"Thank you! I knew _you _would see it my way," exclaimed Shawn with satisfaction.

"So obviously the perp, or _perps_, are looking for something that either you or your Dad would have," Juliet deducted.

"Yeah…," agreed Shawn, "but _what_? And did he find it?"

Both shook their heads as the conversation obviously had reached an endpoint. They continued to eat their dinner in silence for a few moments, knowing what subject needed to begin next.

"…So, Shawn," began Juliet, "I made an appointment with the doctor for Friday morning. Can you come?"

"Of course, I wouldn't miss it!" said Shawn, although the idea of having to accompany Juliet to the lady doctor hadn't even occurred to him yet. It sounded incredibly awkward.

"Good," said Juliet. "I am going to go back to work after that. Hopefully I can keep the morning sickness under control enough so that no one will figure out what's going on."

"Maybe the doctor can give you something for that," suggested Shawn.

"I hope so!" said Juliet. After a few more awkward moments, she began carefully, "Um…Shawn…I need to know what you are thinking about this.

"Wha..what do you mean?," Shawn asked.

Juliet sighed, preparing herself for the difficult conversation ahead. "I know that we've kind of assumed that one day we would get married, and _I _assumed that meant we would probably want to have kids…eventually, but _having kids _is not something we have really talked about. And now…and now it's already happening, and I don't know if you even want this."

"Jules! Are you kidding?! Of course I want this!" said Shawn, surprised at his ability to over-exaggerate his confidence.

"But…are you _ready _for this?" pleaded Juliet.

"If I'm being totally honest…because I know how important _honesty _is," he added, "…the idea of being someone's father scares the crap out of me." Juliet looked worried. "But…I have nine months to get used to the idea. I mean…I'm not going to go bald and take up fishing anytime soon. _And,_ when I think about how we'll be doing this together…you and me…bringing little Starfish Spencer into the world…"

"_Starfish?!" _said Juliet, sounding horrified

"What? It's a perfect name for boy or girl!"

"No!"

"…_Anyway_," he continued, "…when I think of doing this with _you_…it makes me feel very, very, very,…_very_ happy…I'm talking Pepsi Girl, dancing on the table happy." Shawn inched toward Juliet with each "very" so that his lips were only centimeters from hers by the time he finished. "We will figure this all out _together. _You'll see."

Juliet smiled and kissed him softly. "It makes me _very _happy too. I want this. I want to have a baby with you," she said. But then her face became serious and she backed away, trying to decide her next words very carefully.

"Shawn, I don't doubt that you are going to make a wonderful father…but you and I both know that you can sometimes be…"

"Batman?" Shawn suggested.

"No," said Juliet

"A samurai ninja?"

"No!"

"A pig whisperer," he concluded confidently

"Shawn! No!" said Juliet in frustration.

"Irresponsible," decided Shawn disappointedly.

"…No…" said Juliet. She searched for a better word, but not finding one, she frowned and reluctantly answered, "Yes…" The disappointment in Shawn's face broke her heart.

"Shawn, I need to be honest with you too. I'm worried…I'm worried that you are not ready for this…that _I'm _not ready for this. I really have no idea how to raise a child, especially when I have a job as dangerous and unpredictable as mine…and, as much as I don't want to say it because I don't want to hurt you…" Tears had been accumulating in Juliet's while she spoke and as a few dropped down her cheeks, she spoke the last few words through small sobs. "I'm worried that I won't be able to depend on you to step in when I need you…when your child needs you. I don't want to do this alone…I don't think I can."

Shawn looked like he had been punched in the stomach. "Juliet, I don't want you do this alone. I'm scared too. I…I know you may be finding it hard to trust me considering recent circumstances. I don't blame you. And I know I can be irresponsible sometimes…ok, a lot of the time. But I want to change that. I really do. I am going to try to grow up before the baby gets here. Even though my words may not mean much to you right now, I am promising you, I will try."

"Shawn, you need to know that over that last couple of years you have changed and grown up a lot, and I am proud of you for that. I think you can be ready for this. And I think that if you can show me over the next few weeks that you are…_committed_…to becoming responsible…stepping up to the plate, I think I will feel much better. I'll feel like I might be able to trust you a little more. Do you know what I mean?"

Shawn studied her words for a moment. "I think I know what you mean," he smiled. "I will do my best."

She smiled and said, "Thanks. You know I love you."

"I love you more," said Shawn as he leaned in and kissed Juliet softly and slowly.

When they finished, Juliet spoke again in a lighter tone. "Now, as long as everything goes smoothly on Friday morning," I think it would be ok to share the news with a few people…with your Dad or Gus if you like, but we should probably keep it quiet at the station for a little while. Lassiter isn't going to be happy about this"

Shawn coughed guiltily. Juliet studied his face and then suddenly realized the reason for his guilt.

"You told Gus, didn't you?!"

"I did. I couldn't help it! He could read it all over my face."

"It's ok," she said. "I should have known that was asking a lot."

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading!<strong>


	8. Chapter 7: A Grim Turn of Events

**Rewriting this is harder than I thought. Anyhow, here's chapter 7 finally. This and the previous chapters have been really emotional so I tried to lighten it up towards the end. You'll see. After this it gets more suspenseful and cutesy.**

* * *

><p>Shawn was startled awake early the next morning to the ringing of Juliet's cell phone next to him on the nightstand. Juliet groggily asked him to hand over the phone. "O'Hara," she answered with a yawn, and a few moments later, "We'll be there."<p>

"Chief or Lassie?" asked Shawn, knowing that only one of those two people would be calling Juliet at 4:00 AM.

"The Chief," she answered while reluctantly climbing out of bed. "A body's been found near Shoreline Park. She wants both of us down there in 20 minutes. You might as well call Gus too."

"I thought you were going to take the day off?" Shawn complained as he too got up and began to get dressed. "So much for sleeping-in followed by breakfast-in-bed and a Phineas and Ferb marathon."

"I was, but the Chief wants everyone on this one. It must be serious."

Shawn and Juliet were the last to arrive at the crime scene. Everyone including Lassie gathered around the Chief with bags under their eyes, sucking down coffee, while she filled them in. Shawn noticed that Juliet seemed pale and distant, at least more so than her usual early morning self. He was wondering whether she was having morning sickness again and thought how much it must suck to feel like that all the time. He put his arm around her and rubbed her shoulder, which seemed to comfort her a little.

"Prepare yourselves," began Chief Vick very seriously. "I know we are all accustomed to murder scenes, but this one is different. The victim is young. _Very_ young. I know how difficult child victims can be, but I am confident we can bring whatever scumbag did this to justice." She led the group across a field, through a forest path, and into a small clearing in the woods that was already surrounded by crime scene tape and where several officers were already processing the scene.

Shawn felt sick to his stomach when he saw the tiny body of a little girl sprawled across the dirty ground, bloody and bruised, partially covered in dirt and leaves, her pink dress torn and one of her Mary Janes missing. She couldn't have been more than 7 or 8 years old. Bruises around her neck suggested that she had been strangled. "Oh God!" he muttered.

Shawn looked around the group noticing the others' reactions. Chief Vick was solemn, while Lassiter had his usual non-descript expression and was already starting to take notes. Gus was in shock, and as usual, looked like he was about to hurl. Jules was…_where was Jules?_ Shawn turned around and noticed she had stepped away from the scene. She was pacing back and forth further up the wooded path and looked particularly distraught.

"Jules?!" yelled Shawn and started after her. The Chief and the rest of the crowd looked on curiously while Shawn chased after her. Juliet didn't respond but stopped suddenly allowing him to catch up. "Jules?" he said again more carefully as he got closer to her. She turned from the path and leaned into a bush to throw up. He put his hand gently on her back until she finished, noticing that she had started to sob at the same time. She got up and momentarily looked into Shawn's eyes, tears streaming down her face, before looking back to the ground and letting out a heartbreaking sob. Shawn wiped her tears and took her by both arms, rubbing them soothingly with his open hands. She looked back into his eyes

"She's…so…young!" sobbed Juliet, "…so innocent…How could anyone….? Why?!"

"I don't know," answered Shawn softly as he continued to soothe her. "I really don't know." He paused and then said with promise in voice, "…but that's why we're here. That's why you're here. It's our job to find out who did this to her…get justice for her and her family…and…so we can make sure he can never do this again to anyone else."

Juliet nodded, mildly comforted by his words. She buried her face into his shoulder and he held her close for several minutes, stroking her soft golden hair.

Shawn was concerned. This was not like Juliet at all. It wasn't that she never got emotional over difficult cases. She had worked cases with child victims before, and even though she would usually break down when the case was over, she could very easily handle it in the moment. Usually she could just flip a switch and go into detective mode, setting aside her emotions until the case was over and her work was done. But this time it was as if her switch had disappeared. She was getting all emotional already and the case had barely begun. He knew that Juliet's hormones were most likely going crazy right now, and wondered whether it would be like this for the next nine months. In any case, if she didn't pull herself together soon, their colleagues would surely wonder what had softened their usually hard-shelled detective.

After several minutes, Juliet seemed to have gained her composure and said she was ready to return to the crime scene. They returned, the rest of the group looking up and noticing Juliet's tear-streaked face. Everyone had puzzled expressions except for Gus who was sympathetic. "Sorry about that. I'm fine," Juliet addressed her colleagues. Paying no more attention to the group's concerned stares, she pulled her notebook from her back pocket and began observing the scene and taking notes. "That's unusual," she said, pointing at the young girl's shoulder with her pen where a rectangular shaped indentation had cut into her skin. Her statement shifted everyone's attention back to the task at hand, thankfully leaving her uncharacteristic episode behind her.

* * *

><p>A few hours later Lassiter and Juliet were working in uncomfortable silence, trying to pull together all of the evidence they had collected at the murder scene. Lassiter had attempted to ask Juliet more than once what had happened to her back at the crime scene, but she refused to give any type of explanation.<p>

Chief Vick approached her favorite pair of detectives carrying a fresh case-file. "It's good to have you back, O'Hara. Uh…How are you feeling?" she asked carefully.

"Much better, thanks," Juliet replied untruthfully.

"Good," said the Chief unsurely. Juliet noticed that the Chief was carrying a serious and concerning presence. "Can I see the two of you in my office, please?" Both nodded and followed.

When inside the privacy of her office, the Chief finally handed the case-file she was holding to Lassiter, who flipped through it briefly and handed it to Juliet. "This was a report filed with us two days ago," the Chief sighed. "Take a look."

Juliet opened the file to see the image of a smiling little girl. Her dark hair was braided into pigtails and her eyes showed a sense of innocence. She was the very girl that they had found dead that morning. Juliet gulped at the thought of what had happened to her. "So, we know who she is then?" she asked, starting to get a little emotional. _"Come on, Keep it together!"_ she thought.

"Her name is Emma Green," said the Chief, who took a deep breath before describing the whole situation. "I've already notified her parents and questioned them." The Chief sighed heavily as she began to explain what she knew. "Emma disappeared yesterday morning from the park where she played regularly. She was with her father at the time. He said that she had told him something about seeing 'the man who gave her money' and wanted to take her father to him…to show him who it was. He didn't know who she was talking about, of course, and told her no and that she should stay on the jungle gym. A few minutes later, though, she was gone. He and his wife came to us yesterday to report her missing. We immediately sent out a search team, who eventually found her body early this morning."

"You said that was filed two days ago, though?" Lassiter asked confused.

"Exactly," said the Chief. _That _is not the missing persons report. Both detectives furrowed their brows curiously and listened intently while she explained further. "It can't be a coincidence that just one day prior to her disappearance Emma's mother sent in a complaint about a suspicious interaction between her daughter and an unknown man. Mrs. Green said that on Monday morning she had taken Emma to the same playground from where she disappeared yesterday. She momentarily lost track of her daughter and found her buying an ice cream across the street. When she asked Emma where she had gotten the money to buy her ice cream, she said that a strange man had given it to her. The girl seemed unwilling to share any information about the man, but eventually her mother coaxed her into telling her what occurred."

Juliet flipped to the next page of the case-file and read out loud the statement made by Emma.

_"I saw him trying to open his office door. He looked worried and I asked if he was ok. He said he lost his key and was trying to get into his office. I asked if I could help him look for his key and he got mad at me. He told me not to tell anyone that I saw him or he would hurt me." _

Juliet's voice cracked. _"What's wrong with you? Hold it together,"_ she thought to herself and continued reading.

_"I cried and then he gave me $5 and told me to go away and buy myself an ice cream."_

Juliet stopped reading and Lassiter spoke, "Did the girl give a description of the man?"

Juliet read from the file again.

"_He was tall and had greasy hair and dressed like Uncle Jim."_

"…which her mother clarified to mean that he was probably wearing a business suit. That's all she said."

"Where exactly did this happen?" Lassiter asked.

"Shoreline Drive," the Chief answered. "The playground is the one on the beach between the 1200 and 1300 blocks, and location that the man was trying to enter was 1204."

"That's the Psych Office," realized Juliet.

"Yeah," said the Chief. "Emma was the one who witnessed a man trying to enter Mr. Spencer's office on Monday and now she is dead. From the sounds of it, she may have also witnessed him actually break-in to the office yesterday and the perpetrator took it upon his own hands to silence her." The Chief had a grave expression. "It seems clear now that the break-ins at Henry's and the Psych office are not random and our burglar has now escalated his crimes to murder. Whatever this guy is after…whatever he thinks the Spencers have…it's worth killing for."

Juliet looked back at the smiling little girl in the picture and the image of her mangled body lying dead in the leaves flashed into her mind. She felt her face flushing and her breakfast rising up her throat. "Um…please excuse me," she said quickly while closing the file and throwing it onto the Chief's desk. She swiftly turned out of the office and walked at a quick pace to the restroom. Chief Vick and Lassiter shared a bewildered glance. Lassiter shrugged to indicate that he had no idea why his partner had rushed off so quickly, and the Chief shook her head thinking to herself that she had an idea and decided to follow.

By the time Vick made it to the women's restroom, Juliet was already inside one of the stalls, heaving. The Chief waited patiently until Juliet was finished and exited the stall, teary eyed and somehow looking both pale and red-faced at the same time.

"Chief!" said Juliet, startled to find her boss just standing in the restroom. She looked away and started washing her hands at one of the sinks. So far Vick hadn't said a word, allowing her subordinate to begin. "How long have you been standing there?" Juliet asked without looking away from the sink.

"Long enough," said Chief Vick. "Would you mind telling me what is going on with you?" she asked.

"I…uh…it's nothing. Just emotional over the case, I guess," Juliet half-lied, continuing to focus on washing her hands for much longer than was needed.

"I know it's difficult when dealing young victims…this one in particular hits a little close to home for me," the Chief pointed out. "Iris is seven." Juliet froze and looked shamefully at her soapy hands. She hadn't thought about that. "But we are officers of the law," Vick continued. "We don't let our emotions get in the way of doing our jobs."

"I know that, Chief…" Juliet paused, not knowing what else she could say to explain her behavior.

"Come on, O'Hara! You and I both know that this is not about the case."

"I…I don't know what you are talking about," she lied again.

"Don't insult my intelligence," said Chief Vick impatiently. "Don't forget. I am a woman and a mother. I can recognize the signs when I see them." Juliet finally looked up at the Chief knowing she had been caught. "How far along?" Chief Vick asked.

Juliet sighed, surprisingly relieved that the Chief had figured it out and spared her having to share the news herself. "I don't know yet. We only just found out yesterday. I'm seeing the doctor on Friday." She dampened a paper towel and wiped down her teary face.

"How is Spencer taking this?" the Chief asked cautiously, not wanting to pry but wanting to be as supportive as possible.

"He's scared…we both are, but I think he's taking it much better than I would have expected."

"And you?"

"I'm terrified, and I'm worried about Shawn…but mostly…I'm really excited," Juliet surprised herself. She hadn't expected to answer that way, but this was the first that she had been asked and when she thought about it…that she was going to be mother…a mother to Shawn's child…she was genuinely excited and allowed herself to smile fully for the first time in two days. The Chief returned a smile and rubbed Juliet's arm soothingly. "I guess the pregnancy symptoms are kicking my butt, though," Juliet added.

"Don't worry. They usually lessen significantly after the first trimester," said the Chief.

Juliet wasn't comforted, realizing that she was at probably two months away from that point. "Um…does this change things…I mean, whether or not I can still work cases?"

"I still think it would be ok for you to continue working cases until you start showing, although we may have to keep you away from danger as best we can. We wouldn't want anything to happen to your little one."

"Of course not!" said Juliet

"You'll have to tell Detective Lassiter when you are ready. But don't wait too long." Juliet nodded in understanding. "Well, congrats to you and Spencer! You take as much time as you need in here and come back to the case when you are ready."

"Thanks, Chief. Sure thing!"

"No problem," said Vick, starting out the door. "Oh, and O'Hara…my door is always open…if you need anything. Remember that I've been through this myself and I know it can be good to have someone to talk to."

"Thanks for the talk!" said Juliet with a smile.

Vick nodded and finally left Juliet to herself in the restroom.

* * *

><p>After a long day of researching and questioning everyone in little Emma Green's life, the investigation had hit a brick wall. Even though it seemed obvious that Emma's death was one of those 'wrong time, wrong place' scenarios, that she had simply been the unfortunate one to witness a dangerous man's crime, it was still protocol to investigate the possibility that someone close to her had been involved. The whole day was spent questioning friends, family, neighbors, and teachers, and just as expected no one had shown any sign of guilt. In fact, their interviews had only confirmed that Emma was the type to frequently run off and get herself into dangerous spots. She was curious, generous, and over-trusting. She probably thought she was helping the man who killed her. Juliet thought they would have been better off spending the first day of the investigation from the break-in angle. The only problem was that they really had no leads on that end either.<p>

Finally home for the evening, she came through the front door, kicked off her shoes, and removed her gun and holster. She flopped herself onto the couch with a groan. She wasn't used to being tired out so easily. Her stomach growled loudly. She wasn't used to being hungry all of the time either. In fact, she was so hungry that she could have sworn she could smell a scent of tomato, basil, and garlic wafting from the kitchen. She sat up straight and sniffed the air. Now she was sure she could smell it! And there was something else too…pineapple.

Juliet got up and as she walked towards the kitchen, she also noted that the house was oddly tidy, freshly vacuumed and dusted to a lemony freshness.

"Hey, beautiful!" Shawn greeted as Juliet entered the kitchen, her jaw dropping at the sight of the table set neatly with candles and a flower centerpiece, pots and pans boiling on the stove, and Shawn dressed in her flowery apron. She giggled at the sight of him.

"What?" said Shawn checking his reflection in a steel pot, "Did I get sauce on my face?"

"No," laughed Juliet. "I just…Did you do all of this yourself?"

"Well, I would have gotten Gus to help me but unfortunately he had plans today…something about an Indian princess flying in on a steel bird…or some nonsense," Shawn joked. He was actually glad that Gus had something else to keep him busy for the day. "So, anyhow, yeah I did this myself. Chicken parmesan with pineapple upside-down cake for dessert…let's hope it's baked through this time. I know it's been a long and probably a rough day, and I thought you'd be hungry. I made extra…you know, since you're eating for two now."

Juliet didn't even know how to respond. She'd never seen Shawn so…domestic, before. Instead of saying anything, she walked over to him, wrapped her arms around him, not caring that she was getting sauce on her shirt and pulled him into a searing kiss.

"Wow!" said Shawn after a good thirty seconds, feeling lightheaded. "I should make you dinner more often."

"Yes you should," agreed Juliet.

"And I'm going to!" Shawn exclaimed. "I want you to know that I'm turning over a new leaf. I am trading in all of my selfish, irresponsible maple leaves for some grown ass-oak leaves…because oak trees are old…and _wise_…like _owls_. I am going to be like a wise, old owl except that I can't turn my head all the way around backwards."

"Huh?"

"I am also going to be helping out a lot more around here. I really want you to see that I can do this. I mean, that you can trust me…that I can and I _want _to be a good father to our baby."

"Shawn, I'm really glad to hear you say that. And if everything you've done tonightis any indication of what I can expect from you from now on, I'll have no problem trusting you."

"Look, Jules. I've been doing some thinking…" Shawn began suddenly but less seriously. Juliet pulled away slightly and looked at him strangely. "Yeah…don't be so surprised. I DO think every now and then."

"You do?" she said playfully.

"Yeah…and, well I've realized three things today. First, Jimmy Fallon's Late Night Snack Ice Cream is the best snack food on the planet, by far. Second, Shia Lebeauf should never ever try to grow facial hair…"

"I totally agree!"

"…And third, we need to celebrate!"

"Yes. Yes, we do!" agreed Juliet.

"I'm glad you agree, because I want to take you out on Friday. Dinner, dancing, drinks… Wait! No drinks! But, pretty much anything else that starts with D…or any other letter of the alphabet. Whatever you want…"

"Oh, Shawn! That sounds amazing!" Juliet said, practically jumping on him and pulling him into a tight embrace.

"…and after that, we are going to come home and celebrate some more…all night long if you want." Shawn winked and placed several soft kisses to her pulse point. "And the best part is…we don't even have to try to be careful anymore."

"Oh…" Juliet moaned pleasantly. "Why do we have to wait until Friday?"

"I never said we had to," Shawn said, picking Juliet off the floor and onto the counter where he could have better access to her neck.

"Then what are we waiting for?" asked Juliet, wrapping herself fully around Shawn, who fumbled with the knobs on the stove to turn them off before carrying her to the bedroom. Dinner could wait just a little bit.

* * *

><p><strong>:) Thanks! Review please!<strong>


	9. Chapter 8: The Chase

**Getting there. Here's a bit of old and new. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>The next morning, Gus entered the Psych Office carrying his sample case, tap dancing and whistling Nat King Cole's <em>L.O.V.E. <em>The early mornings were the only time Gus could get his _real _work done before Shawn could get him involved in another wacky adventure. When Shawn was still asleep, the Psych Office was the only place he could work without distraction.

"Ahem! Hem!" coughed Shawn, announcing his presence.

"Shawn!" Gus was surprised to see his friend awake _and _hard at work at such an early hour. "You're here early!"

"Yes I am. Nice moves Gus! Your pitch is a little off though."

Gus responded only with a "Tsk." He did a double-take when he saw that the Psych Office was in perfect order and that Shawn had removed all of his toys and anything remotely childish from his desk.

"You seem chipper this morning," said Shawn. "I take it the airport pick-up went well?"

"Indeed it did!" said Gus proudly. "You were right. I was totally over-reacting. Rachael was excited to see me and she said that Max missed me too. And it also didn't hurt that she couldn't have enough negative things to say about her ex. That dude sounds like a jerk! Rachael said she was lucky to find a decent man like me."

"See Gus! What did I say? I'm glad this is working out for you."

"Thanks Shawn. Also, Rachael wanted to know if you and Juliet would be interested in a double date tomorrow night. She said that since she is now invested in me, she wants to get to know my friends better."

"Sorry, Gus. I'd love to but I have big plans. Maybe Saturday night?"

"Um sure…," said Gus confused, "I'll see if Rachael is free Saturday. So, what are these big plans anyway?

"It's top secret. I'll tell you later though."

Gus squinted suspiciously at Shawn. "What are you up to?" he said in a serious tone.

"I'm not _'up to' _anything except level 7 of LEGO Lord of the Rings. I'm just making some plans for Jules and I don't want you or anyone else to spoil the surprise."

"Come on, Shawn!" argued Gus angrily. "Vault of Secrets! You can tell _me_. I'm your best friend."

"Gus, I wouldn't trust your vault with the Secret Life of Walter Mitty."

"That hurts, Shawn," said an offended Gus.

"I promise, buddy," said Shawn, sighing and getting serious. "I'll fill you in later, but for the time being I need to keep this to myself. Ok?"

"Um…ok" said Gus, not fully satisfied. "So Shawn? May I ask why you are here so early today?"

"Hey, Gus, have you seen the photo of Jules and that was sitting on my desk?" asked Shawn, ignoring his friend's question and looking all around his desk and in his drawers.

"I'm sure it's around somewhere," said Gus annoyed. "Don't change the subject."

"I'm serious, Gus. Doesn't it strike you as odd that after cleaning the entire office, we haven't seen it and returned it to my desk? Do you think the burglar took it?"

"Why would the burglar take a photo from your desk, Shawn?" argued Gus, who was getting frustrated.

"Exactly!" said Shawn, scratching his head in confusion and looking around the room.

"Shawn! Why aren't you answering my question? Why are you here so early?"

"I'm working Gus! Why else would I be here? Now that the burglary case has turned into a murder investigation, it's top priority. Unfortunately, I'm still stumped on that one. However, I have already scheduled another client meeting for later today and made some progress on the Pinkerton case, which by the way, is looking _extremely _fishy. This uncle of his…untrackable…and I called the bank where the supposed heirlooms were stolen from and they have no record of a Pinkerton. I think this 'Pinkerton' guy, or whatever his name is, is sending us on a wild goose chase."

"That's nice," said Gus, "but you haven't answered my question."

"Gus! Can't a _regular_ guy come to work at _regular _hours and get paid _regular _money for doing _regular _work," argued Shawn

"Sure he can," said Gus, "but you aren't a _regular _guy."

"Ok. That's fair," said Shawn. "The thing is, though, I _need_ to be a regularguy now, Gus. I can't just think about myself anymore. I have a soon-to-be family that is depending on me and I have to PROVIDE. So, starting today, I am 'responsible Shawn'. No more 'getting- into-trouble Shawn'. No more 'wasting-time-and-money Shawn,' not even 'Malibu Shawn'. Most of all, no more…depending on you. That's why I've destroyed all of my copies of your credit cards…"

"Your copies? What?!"

"…and I've started my own budget," continued Shawn. "Babies are expensive, Gus. I need to start raking in the cash now."

"Ok…Shawn," said Gus, addressing him as if he was clinically insane, "I know you are freaking out about the baby, but this is all starting to scare me. This is _not _you."

"Exactly, Gus! This is '_responsible_ Shawn.' Now, if you'll excuse me. I need to go speak to my father." Shawn got up from his desk and started for the door.

"Shawn. Wait!" said Gus. "What about this Pinkerton thing?"

"Oh! Yes, of course," said Shawn in a business-like tone that was uncharacteristic of him. "I think I have a few minutes to fill you in…" Shawn glanced at his watch and then noticed something out of the corner of his eye. It was something shiny, silvery under his desk. His words stopped short and his head tilted with curiosity. He breezed past Gus and straight for the curious object.

"What is it?" asked Gus.

"It's a cuff-link," said Shawn. Neither he nor Gus owned a cuff-link like that, if they even owned cuff-links at all. It was silver with a swirly design on a red background. He had seen it before…. Shawn flashed back two days earlier when Pinkerton first entered their office and he focused on Pinkerton's wrist. He had been wearing cuff-links just like this one! But not only that, the rectangular shape of the cuff-link was familiar too…the shape matched perfectly the curious indentation on Emma's shoulder.

"Gus! It was Pinkerton all along! He was the one that broke into my Dad's house and our office, and murdered the little girl."

"You mean, _walked _into our unlocked office," Gus corrected.

"Ok, fine, we all know I'm guilty of not locking the office door! You don't have to keep rubbing it in! Anyhow, it was Pinkerton. I don't know why or what he wanted, but I know it was him! I've got to go see my Dad."

* * *

><p>"Dad! Dad?!" yelled Shawn as he burst through the kitchen door of Henry's beachside home.<p>

"Henry!" yelled Gus, following behind him.

"Dad, I figured it out!" said Shawn. He and Gus turned the corner to find his father standing at his cocktail bar, the window open behind him to allow a cool summer breeze to fill his home. Another older man was sitting on the stool across from him.

"Dad? Uh…hi," Shawn addressed the man, surprised to see a visitor in his dad's home, an uncommon occurrence.

"Hey. Shawn, Gus," said Henry, "I'd like you to meet my new fishing buddy Ed."

"Hi, Ed," said both Shawn and Gus at the same time. Ed was an older, gentlemanly-looking fellow. He had white hair and a thick white moustache and beard. These features along with his plumpness made him look like Santa Clause in a fishing hat and vest. Shawn noticed that they seemed to clash with his black pants and button-down shirt.

"Ed, this is my son Shawn and his buddy Gus," introduced Henry. Shawn and Gus nodded. "I was just telling Ed the story of how I caught that marlin…"

Shawn interrupted, "…It's lovely to meet you Ed, and Dad I'm glad you found someone who wants to listen to your fishing stories, but I need to speak to you for a moment." Henry didn't budge. "_Now…_," Shawn added, and when Henry still didn't budge, "…in the _kitchen_."

"Um…Ok, Shawn," said Henry slightly annoyed, and they headed for the kitchen.

"Stay here," Shawn whispered to Gus. He had more than just the matter at hand to discuss with his dad which would need to exclude Gus for now. Gus, feeling confused and left out, attempted small talk with Ed. "So…have you heard about Pluto?"

"I did, indeed! That's messed up, right?" said Ed.

Once they were alone, Shawn told Henry about Pinkerton and the cuff-link and how he knew that Pinkerton had broken into both Henry's house and the Psych Office and had killed his young witness, and that he probably wasn't who he said he was. Henry was ready to jump on this new piece of evidence and get back into the investigation. "You, Gus, and I are going to find this guy now!" he said, starting for the living room.

"Dad! Wait!" said Shawn pulling Henry back into the kitchen. There's something else I need to discuss with you."

"Right now?" asked Henry.

"It's important."

Henry sighed and came back to where Shawn was standing. "The time is right," Shawn said.

Henry wasn't sure what Shawn was talking about. "The time is right?...The time is right for what?" Henry asked.

"For Jules. The big question. You told me to tell you when the time was right, so I'm telling that right now the time is right."

"I told you that three days ago, Shawn. What could possibly have changed in three days?"

"A lot," said Shawn. "Look, we don't have time to discuss it now…" His expression indicated that the case took priority at the moment. "…but just trust me. Jules pretty much told me that she's ready for it, and I've been ready to commit to her for a long time. I just need your blessing…and the ring."

Henry looked serious. He suspected Shawn's enthusiasm about popping the question was probably a bit premature, but he also didn't want to stand in the way of his being with Juliet. "Are you sure about this?"

"More sure than Mikey was sure about eating Life cereal," answered Shawn.

Henry put his eyes to the floor, thinking, for several seconds. "Ok," he said, taking the ring down from its new hiding place on top of the kitchen cabinet. It was now stored inside a black velvet box.

"Sweet!" said Shawn, taking the box and stuffing it in his pocket, then he started back towards the guests in the other room. "Wait," Henry asked, "When are you planning on asking her?"

"Tomorrow," stated Shawn, and he left the room before his dad could make any objections.

"Tomorrow?!" said Henry to himself as he pulled his invisible hair out with his fingers before returning to the living room where Gus was giving Shawn a disapproving look. "Hey, Ed. Sorry to cut our visit short, but we've got an urgent matter to attend to. We're still on for fishing first thing Saturday morning, though."

"Of course, Henry, I don't want to get in the way," said Ed. "I'll just be on my way and I see you first thing on Saturday."

"Thanks, Ed and sorry for the inconvenience," said Henry, walking with him to the front door and letting him out. "See ya." As soon as Ed was gone, Henry turned to Shawn and Gus. "Ok, where do you suppose we find this Pinkerton fella?"

"I don't know Dad," said Shawn. "We haven't seen or heard from him since our first meeting, and all of the information he has given us have been false leads, which I think he's just been using to keep us distracted from what he's really up to."

"Dammit!" said Henry. "Didn't he even give you a number to reach him?"

"He did," said Gus. "But when I called it all I got was the Gigantoburger and Shake Shack."

"What?!" said Shawn. "And you didn't order us any?!"

"They don't take phone orders, Shawn!"

"Alright, fine!" said Shawn in total seriousness. "But as soon as we solve this case we are getting us a 5-pounder and a mango pineapple shake!" Henry groaned, covering his face with his hand and shaking his head.

"Of course we are, Shawn," Gus agreed exasperatedly. "You don't have to tell me twice."

"Alright, fine!" Shawn repeated. "But as soon as we solve this case we are getting us a 5-pounder and a mango pineapple shake!"

"I said you DON'T have to tell me twice," Gus argued.

"I know, but I figured it couldn't hurt," Shawn shrugged.

"ENOUGH!" shouted Henry. "Shawn focus. What, if any, clues can you remember that might lead us to what this Pinkerton guy is looking for and where he might be now."

Shawn paused and flashed through all of his memories of the break-ins and the murder. Nothing made sense. It seemed likely that Pinkerton was looking for something small, but whatever that was could be anything. On the other hand, the guy had stolen cash and electronics which didn't make any sense at all Perhaps he thought his and Gus's computers might be holding some sensitive information, but he couldn't explain why the man had stolen the Xbox and Nintendo…unless he just happened to be a video game addict too, which Shawn supposed could be possible. But why would he steal a photograph of him and Jules? That was in itself just creepy and really rubbed Shawn the wrong way.

"I don't know…" said Shawn shaking his head, completely at a loss.

"Come on, Shawn. Think!" Henry urged his son. "There's gotta be somethi—"

Everyone got silent when, just like during last week's dinner, they heard a creaking on the back porch just outside the open window. Shawn put a finger to his lips and stepped carefully towards the window. Leaning out of it, he found himself face-to-face with Pinkerton who was kneeling just underneath the window and looking like he was getting ready to make a run for it.

"Hey!" Shawn shouted to the tall, pasty man which prompted the guy to leap off the porch and start running. "It's him! It's Pinkerton!" Shawn yelled to Henry and Gus. Shawn burst out of the back door and took off toward the mysterious man. Gus followed, but Henry ran straight for his truck. He wasn't going to let this guy run off on him again.

Shawn and Gus ran as fast as they could, following the man to the street. "Man! This guy is fast for a pasty, white guy," huffed Shawn.

"Of course he is," puffed Gus. "His legs are like six feet long!"

Pinkerton suddenly turned into an alley and by the time Shawn and Gus caught up, they found that he had gotten into the driver's seat of a black car and was starting to back up towards the two men. Shawn and Gus leapt out of the way so as not to be run over and rolled across the sidewalk, grumbling in pain as they acquired several scrapes and bruises. The black car screeched backwards out of the alley just barely missing the two friends who lay in a heap on the ground. Henry, who was approaching the scene in his truck, had to step hard on the brake to avoid a collision with Pinkerton's vehicle, which allowed Shawn and Gus a moment to scramble off of the ground and hop into the truck that immediately took off at full speed following their suspect.

"I can't believe it!" said Henry. "He was hiding outside on the porch the whole time?"

"Obviously he hasn't found what he's looking for yet if he's still following you around," Shawn reasoned pulling out his phone and selecting Lassiter's speed dial. "Lassie!" he shouted into the phone. "We've spotted our burglar-slash-child killer. We're following him in my Dad's truck headed west on Shoreline. He's driving a black Buick Impreza.

_"I'm on it. Try not to lose him!" _Lassiter yelled before the hanging up the phone.

Shawn had just gotten his phone back into his pocket when he had to grab onto the 'Oh, Jesus!' bar to brace himself for a sharp turn onto a busy boulevard.

"Oh, Jesus!" said Shawn. "Dad you're going to kill us. I can't afford to die right now," he complained as the clunky truck weaved in and out of traffic. "Jules would kill me."

"You know that makes absolutely no sense," squealed Gus as he held onto the dashboard for dear life.

"Why?" asked Henry.

"Because Juliet can't kill Shawn if he's already dead," Gus whimpered. "Eeeeekk!" The truck curved sharply off the boulevard, gaining on Pinkerton's vehicle while it turned onto a side street.

"No, I mean why would Juliet kill you if you died_ 'right now'._" Henry clarified.

Sensing that a car chase wasn't the right time to tell his Dad that he was going to be a grandfather, Shawn tried to change the subject. "Uhh…I don't know. Why is Gus addicted to Duck Dynasty?"

"For your information, Duck hunting is an intriguing and surprisingly complicated past-time, Shawn…even if they are murdering adorable innocent birds."

"Boys! Shut up!" growled Henry as the Impreza raced through a red light, causing Henry to have to step on the brakes to avoid being hit by an oncoming vehicle.

"Aaaahhh!" sounded Shawn's and Gus's high-pitched screams as the truck skid across the pavement and came inches from colliding with a Fed-ex truck.

"Shit!" said Henry, pounding on the steering wheel when he realized he was in the center of a traffic jam. "We lost him!"

* * *

><p><strong>Added a bit of action this time and few more jokes. Hope you liked it! Please review.<strong>


	10. Chapter 9: The Stake-out

**Hi, everyone! I'm back. In this chapter, I added some Shawn/Henry time that hints back to the prologue and also worked Lassie and Juliet's stakeout scene into the case. I hope you like it!**

* * *

><p>"Where's O'Hara?" said Lassiter to the Chief.<p>

"She had a doctor's appointment this morning," Chief Vick answered. "She'll be in later today. When she gets here, come see me. I have something to send you two out on. In the meantime, I need you to look into this 'Pinkerton' fellow that supposedly broke into Spencer's home and the Psych Office. It's unfortunate that Henry lost track of him last night, but at least now we have a description of his vehicle. So far nothing's come back on the APB, but I'll need you to run the license plate number that Shawn gave us and then this sketch of him based on Shawn's description. See if you can get a hit on him. Check all the databases. Figure out who this guy really is."

"Awww, man…," Lassiter complained.

"Detective Lassiter!" scolded the Chief. "This man murdered a child!"

Lassiter was startled by his own lack of decorum and immediately corrected himself, "Yes, Chief. I'm on it! I only meant that I was frustrated that we couldn't have nabbed this guy last night."

"Same here, Detective," the Chief agreed with a sigh. "But in the future, please spare your complaints and just do your job."

"Of course, Chief," Lassiter grumbled.

Thirty minutes later, Shawn and Juliet arrived at the station. Both were brimming with happiness, having just seen their child for the first time on an ultrasound. Even though the experience had proven to be just as awkward as Shawn had imagined, the awkwardness was forgotten when he saw that tiny white, peanut-shaped object on that black screen and heard the rhythmic swishing of its tiny heartbeat. _It was all getting very real now. He was going to be dad! Juliet was going to be a mom! They were going to be parents! Together!_ As they approached Juliet's desk where Lassiter sat only a few feet away they did their best to hide their excitement.

Lassiter thought it suspicious that they had arrived together. "I thought you were at the doctor?" he said to Juliet.

"I was," she said.

"With Spencer…?"

"Um…_No_…haha," she laughed nervously, "That would be _weird_! He just…picked me up."

"In what car?" interrogated Lassiter, knowing that Shawn didn't own a vehicle besides his motorcycle.

"Mine," Juliet lied, "I lent it to him." Shawn sat quietly by, letting her take this one.

"What about Guster?"

"Spending the day with Rachael," said Shawn emphatically. "You know he hasn't seen his girlfriend in over a month."

"Oh…Ok…" It seemed to satisfy Lassiter and he went back to his work. Shawn and Juliet shared a nervous glance and then shrugged. Lassiter announced that he needed to make a trip to the records room and the happy couple took the opportunity to sneak a peek at their sonogram pictures.

"He looks like a tiny alien," said Shawn. "Wait!" he joked, "Are you _absolutely_ sure you weren't abducted by aliens. Maybe I'm not the father."

Juliet smacked him playfully. "Are you kidding?" she said, "Those are totally your calves! Besides, how do you know it's a 'he.' It could be a 'she.'

"Because I know these things"

"What things?"

Shawn changed the subject. "I have a surprise for you!"

"Ooh!" said Juliet. "I love surprises!"

"For our celebratory date. Reservations for you and me. The Allegro. _To_-night. The most romantic spot in town! I know you've always wanted to go there."

"Yay! That sounds romantic. I can't wait!"

Just then, Lassiter rounded the corner. Juliet stuffed the sonograms that she was still holding into her desk drawer and Shawn hid the one he was holding in his back pocket. They tried to look like they were working, though their efforts were pointless since Lassiter hadn't even noticed the suspicious behavior.

"There is no sign of this guy anywhere," said Lassiter, referring to Pinkerton. "I swear, if you are making this all up to send me on a wild goose chase, Spencer!"

"Lassie, cool your jets, man! I'm not making this up. Admittedly, there _has_ been a lot of goose chasing going on, but I promise you I'm not trying to pull a fast one on you. This guy has had me falling for his tricks too." Shawn moved over to Lassiter's desk and sat on top of it, knocking pencils and papers onto the floor. Lassiter growled under his breath. Shawn continued, "The good thing about gooses…"

"_Geese_, Shawn," corrected Juliet.

"…the good thing about _geeses _is that they _exist._ We're not hunting bigfoot or the elusive jackalope, here…although I'm not totally convinced that either of those examples are myths," he added. "We will find this guy. We just have to look in the right places. Now let me see that," said Shawn reaching for the files in Lassiter's hands.

"No. I will not…," said Lassiter pulling them away. The two of them fought over the files like children until Shawn finally pried them away from Lassiter's hands. "This is against police procedure!" yelled Lassiter.

Shawn, remembering his new ambition of being more responsible and staying out of trouble said, "You're right Lassie," and gave them back. Both Lassiter and Juliet were confused over his sudden change in character. "Tell me what dead ends you've searched," said Shawn instead.

Lassiter explained that he had traced the license plate number to a rental that had been reported stolen two weeks earlier. He had also searched the U.S. databases for wanted criminals and missing persons but hadn't found a match to the sketch of Pinkerton anywhere.

"I'm not surprised," said Shawn. "He didn't strike me as someone who was either lost or a routine criminal. He was mostly just awkward, and I'm pretty sure he was foreign. The strangest thing is he kept asking a lot of personal questions about me. I think we need to be looking back at some of my previous cases…see if there is anyone who fits his description that I might have angered…"

"Well, that narrows it down!" said Lassiter sarcastically.

"…or, I hate to say it, but might be looking for a piece of evidence that I overlooked! Start with cases that also involved my Dad. I know you already looked into the Towne cover-up, but it could be someone related to any of the other cases my Dad and I have worked together. It's probably going to be someone we least expect."

"That's actually not a bad idea, Spencer," said Lassiter, "Back to the grindstone!"

Shawn returned all of the papers he had knocked onto the floor back to Lassiter's desk. He didn't notice that his sonogram picture was among them. All three headed for the records room.

* * *

><p>Two hours later Shawn, Juliet, and Lassiter returned from the records room looking dejected. "Still nothing!" complained Lassiter. Juliet slumped into her chair, looking tired and woozy.<p>

"You Ok, Jules?" Shawn whispered with concern, kneeling down beside her.

"I'm starving!" she said.

"No kidding," said Shawn, putting a hand on her stomach. Juliet looked nervously at Lassiter (He hadn't noticed), and took Shawn's hand from her stomach.

"Right. Sorry," said Shawn, "Not to worry though, Gus and Rachael are already on their way with jerk chicken as we speak."

"Thank God!" said Juliet. She didn't even like jerk chicken but would eat just about anything right now.

They didn't have to wait long. In a few moments Gus and Rachael walked in with four Styrofoam containers, and both couples went to the conference room to enjoy their food.

Lassiter started arranging his desk before heading out to lunch on his own. Then he saw it. A sonogram stuffed halfway under his keyboard. He picked it up and stared at it in disbelief. His mouth dropped open in shock.

* * *

><p>Lassiter returned from lunch, uncharacteristically quiet and pale in the face. "You ok, Carlton?" asked Juliet noticing that he was distracted.<p>

"Yeah, fine," he mumbled, not making eye contact with his young partner.

Juliet was about to probe further when she and Lassiter were accosted by the Chief. "Lassiter! I thought I told you two to come see me when O'Hara got back."

"Is that true?" Juliet scolded with her arms crossed.

"Yeah, sorry Chief. We've been busy checking into some other leads….It was Spencer's idea!" he added at the disapproving look on his boss's face.

"I see, so you're saying you decided to take orders from a consultant instead of the Chief of Police?" Vick questioned smartly.

"No…I…I didn't," Lassiter stuttered. "That's not what I meant!"

"We were looking into some of Shawn's former cases that involved his Dad," Juliet cut in, trying to defend her partner. "Without any useful information coming from the sketch or the license plate we thought it was the most reasonable approach to take next."

The Chief thought for a second. "That was actually a good idea," she admitted. "What did you come up with?"

"Uh…unfortunately, nothing yet," O'Hara admitted reluctantly.

"I see…" said the Chief. "Well, I've got another approach for you." The detectives nodded and waited patiently for her to assign their task. "I was thinking that since this guy has been trailing Henry and possibly Shawn, he's probably still hanging around one or both of them. I've asked that they spend the afternoon together under appearances of spending quality time together. They are going to be fishing on Henry's boat."

"Ha!" Juliet laughed. "Shawn hates fishing. This should be interesting… So, I'm guessing that you want us to stake them out and see if Pinkerton is following them."

"Exactly," said the Chief.

* * *

><p>"This is ridiculous," complained Shawn as he climbed into the boat behind his Dad. "Who is going to believe that I actually willingly came fishing with you?"<p>

"The perp doesn't even know you, Shawn. How is he supposed to know that you have no respect for one of the oldest past-times in the world?"

"Dad, we don't know how long this guy has been following us or what he might know about us. For all we know, he might even know that you get all of your recipes from Oprah Magazine."

"Not all of them!" said Henry. "Just a few of my favorites… Anyway, you're right. This guy could be following us now, so we should keep the case-talk to a minimum." In order to stay visible to Lassiter and Juliet, Henry kept his boat right off the pier instead of taking it out to a good fishing spot. "If anything, it is going to look suspicious that we expect to actually catch anything this close to the pier…and also a little embarrassing."

"Come on, Dad. You're the only one in this city who actually pays any attention to where the fish hang out. Nobody's going to notice."

"Humph..." sounded Henry as he sat down and got into his tackle box, handing Shawn a lure and some bait, which Shawn held away from himself in his open hand.

"You're kidding me!" said Henry. "You don't even remember how to do bait your hook?"

"No, Dad, it's right on top of my list of 'totally useless things to never remember' right after 'memorizing the Gettysburg Address,' and 'how to do the Macarena.'

"Alright, fine. Give me that," said Henry, taking Shawn's fishing pole and attaching the lure and bait himself. He then took it upon himself to cast Shawn's line and then handed the pole to Shawn. "Now don't drop it!" he said.

Shawn sat in silence, holding his pole, while Henry finished his line and cast it. After several minutes of neither man saying anything, Henry decided it was time for some man-to-man discussion. "So…tonight's the night, huh?" he asked Shawn.

"Yup, it is," said Shawn, suddenly being aware of the nerves that were beginning to flutter in his stomach. He really didn't want to talk about this with his Dad right now. "But, I'm not here to fish and chat with you. I'm here to catch a bad guy, so we don't have to talk about this, ok?"

"I know that's not _why _we're here," said Henry, "but we are here, and we have time, so why not talk about it."

"Be..because, I just…I just don't want to right now," Shawn mumbled.

Henry was concerned over Shawn's unwillingness to discuss his upcoming engagement and worried that his son was not thinking this through carefully enough. "Shawn, why are you doing this now?" he asked, seriously.

"Dad! I don't want to talk about it!" Shawn nearly yelled.

"That's exactly what I'm worried about, Shawn! If you can't even talk about it, how do you know you are even ready…and how do you know _she's _ready? For goodness sakes, a month ago you two were split up and suddenly you're ready to take the ultimate step in your relationship?"

"Because, I am. She is. This is want she wants. She basically _asked _me to propose to her. So…this is happening. Tonight."

"She _asked _you? Really?" Henry questioned suspiciously. "Are you sure about that?"

"She hinted at it," Shawn shrugged.

Henry shook his head. He was fairly certain that Shawn had gotten his signals crossed. He couldn't believe that Juliet would be suddenly so willing to consider marriage when their relationship was just getting back on track. "There isn't anything more to this?" Henry probed. "…other than you thinking that she wants you to propose?"

Shawn paused a moment. He considered telling his Dad about the baby for a split second until he imagined how his Dad would react…how he would assume that he was only proposing out of a sense of obligation. He decided against it. "Yes, there is," said Shawn. "This is also about the fact that I love her and I want to marry her…but there's nothing more than that."

Henry wasn't so certain, but before he could think of what to say next, Shawn's phone rang. Shawn quickly glanced at the caller and putting the phone to his ear said, "Hey, Jules."

_"Shawn, don't look now, but you've got someone roaming around your Dad's boat."_

* * *

><p>Lassiter parked his Fusion in the parking lot just off of the marina with a distant view of Henry's fishing boat, and scanned the area through his binoculars. Juliet watched as the tiny, distant figures of Henry and Shawn approached the boat with fishing paraphernalia and boarded it. As of yet, no one else could be seen in the vicinity besides a few other fisherman aboard their own boats.<p>

Throughout the stakeout, Juliet noticed Lassiter acting strange. He was quiet and distant, even more than usual if that was possible. "Carlton…," she asked. "Is everything ok?"

"Yeah, yeah, fine," he mumbled again, clearly not willing to elaborate further without a bit of push.

Juliet wasn't convinced. "Are you sure? You have been acting…weird all afternoon."

"O'Hara, in case you haven't noticed this is a stake-out, not an interrogation. I told you, I'm fine!"

"Um…ok," she responded feebly deciding to let it go for now. She didn't need to start an argument while they were supposed to be watching the area. After a few moments, she added, "I think you could use a coffee. Do you want me to run down the street and get you a coffee?"

"Yeah, whatever," he said, and Juliet got out of the car and walked towards the Starbucks on the corner. She returned five minutes later with a large coffee for Lassiter and an herbal tea for herself. As she reached for the door handle, she noticed Lassiter looking at something in his hand. When she saw what it was, her eyes widened to the size of saucers and her mouth dropped open. She got into the car.

"Carlton, where did you get that?!"

"Oh! Uh…!" said Lassiter frantically, trying to hide the sonogram. He knew it was too late though. Juliet had already seen it. "Um…I found it on my desk," he answered, "Marlowe must have left it."

Juliet was speechless. _Did he really think it was Marlowe's?!_

Lassiter began to spill his guts. "We've been trying…ever since the wedding. She really wanted a baby. I did too…at least I thought I did…but now, seeing this tiny person on here…I'm…I'm not ready for this!" Lassiter was in a panic.

"Um…Carlton…," began Juliet, "Are you _sure _that Marlowe is pregnant?"

"What are you talking about, O'Hara? Why would she fake _this_?" he said, shaking the picture.

"Did she _tell _you she was pregnant?"

"Well, no…" he admitted, "..not in so many words. I thought this was her way of telling me, leaving the sonogram on my desk."

"Uuuhh…Carlton." _This was it. She was going to have to tell him the truth._ "I don't know how that got on your desk, but it's not Marlowe's"

"O _really_? And how would you know?!" argued Lassiter

"Because…it's mine," she said, bracing herself for a potential explosion from Carlton.

Lassiter looked back and forth between Juliet and the sonogram. "It's yours?" he asked for confirmation. He had a look of both relief and disappointment.

"Yes."

"_You're_ pregnant?"

"Yes."

"B..But..I thought you said that was a false alarm?" he questioned, referring to more than a month earlier when she had feigned pregnancy symptoms to stall his progress on a case. Ironically, she realized that she had probably only just conceived the night before they worked that case.

"Well…I was wrong," she said, figuring it wasn't worth explaining any more than that.

Lassiter turned forward, anger starting to boil up inside of him. Juliet noticed his face turning red. "Spencer!" he yelled. Lassiter's relationship with Juliet was like that of a protective older brother, and the thought of his least favorite person getting her pregnant was infuriating. "Dammit, Spencer! I am going to kill that son of a bitch!"

"Carlton!" Juliet retorted. "I know _you_ hate him, but _I_ love Shawn! He may be a little juvenile at times, but he is a compassionate human being and a good man! He loves me and I love him! Believe it or not, I am thrilled to be having his baby! So, I would appreciate it if you could keep your issues with him to yourself and just be happy for me!"

Lassiter was taken aback by her rant. He regained his composure and said slowly but grudgingly, "I'm sorry, O'Hara. I am…happy for you. Congratulations." He put the sonogram into her hand and she tucked it into her purse.

"Thanks," she said, and they continued their stakeout in silence. Only moments later, Lassiter's eyes squinted at a figure in the distance and he whipped out his binoculars to get a closer look.

"What is it?" Juliet asked curiously.

"That guy has been hanging around here for quite a while carrying around fishing gear, but he hasn't gotten onto a boat. In fact, he's now standing suspiciously close to Henry's boat."

Lassiter passed the binoculars to Juliet who took a look at the man. The first thing she noticed was that it definitely wasn't 'Pinkerton.' This man was older, and shorter, and fatter, and had a white beard. The next thing that she noticed was that he was inching closer and closer toward Henry and Shawn, yet trying to appear uninterested in the two fishing men. Juliet took out her phone and dialed Shawn's number. "Shawn, don't look now, but you've got someone roaming around your Dad's boat."

_"Pinkerton?"_ asked Shawn.

"No. It looks like Santa on a fishing trip," she explained.

_"Hmm," _said Shawn. _"I think I know who it is."_

Back on the boat. Shawn waved for his Dad to follow him to the edge of boat, and they stealthily sneaked over and looked right down onto Ed Harrison. "Ed? What are you doing here?" Henry asked.

"Oh! Henry. Shawn," said an apparently surprised Ed. "I didn't realize you'd be out fishing today. I came down to get in some practice…and I'm sorry if it came across as unsettling, but I was just taking a look at your boat. I've been thinking about getting one for myself and wanted to see what kind of specifications it had. I suppose it could have waited until tomorrow, though. I'm sorry to startle you just now."

Henry relaxed. Henry knew that Ed could sometimes come off a little inappropriate but was perfectly harmless. "It's alright, Ed," he said. "Why don't you join us?"

"Indeed, I'd love to!" said Ed, practically jumping onto the boat.

Shawn put his phone back to his ear and whispering into the phone. "Nothing to worry about, Jules. It's just my Dad's awkward buddy, Ed."

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks! Please read and review. Next chapter will have a bit of Shules romance :) Stay tuned!<strong>


	11. Chapter 10: The Sting

**Hi. Most of this is the same as the original, but I did add just a tad more to it. I am thinking there will be some more changes to the final chapter and I will add an epilogue. Enjoy.**

* * *

><p>Shawn got out from the driver's seat of Juliet's Bug and circled around to open the passenger door for her. He took her by the hand and gently helped her from the vehicle, placing a kiss on her hand and then her lips while pulling her into his arms. Shawn was dressed in the black suit he had worn to Lassiter and Marlowe's wedding. It was the only one he owned. And Juliet was dressed in a stunning silver gown. He led her towards the entrance of The Allegro which was an upscale establishment that Juliet had wanted Shawn to take her to for a long time, but Shawn insisted that it was stuffy and for A-holes, and had refused. Tonight was a special night though. He wanted to make sure everything was done right. He had to sweep Juliet off her feet.<p>

"Shawn, I'm so excited that you finally agreed to take me here!" exclaimed Juliet.

"Of course! Your deserve it!" he said, stopping before reaching the entrance of the restaurant to pull her into another kiss. "Did I mention that you look absolutely gorgeous tonight?"

"You don't look too bad, yourself," Juliet flirted back.

"I agree. My hair is even more fabulous than usual." He looked at Juliet longingly. "If I had my way, I'd be all over you right here in this parking lot." Juliet looked like she was thinking the same thing. "But…there will be time for that later," he said. "First we need to enjoy a very delicious _and romantic_ dinner."

Entering the low-lit restaurant, Shawn announced his reservation to the host and immediately implemented his plan to distract Juliet. "Look over there!" He motioned for Juliet to look at something on the far wall and then leaned into the host, slipping the black velvet box into his hand, and whispering, "According to my instructions?" The host nodded and winked with a smile. He was aware of Shawn's request. Shawn winked back.

"I don't see anything," said Juliet puzzled.

"Oh. My bad," said Shawn. "I could have sworn I saw Val Kilmer over there."

"Your waiter will take you to your seat now," said the host, and they followed the waiter to a private table in a low-lit room, candles on the table and walls to set the mood, a roaring fireplace nearby.

Juliet took in the atmosphere and smiled deeply. "Shawn, I am impressed! You really went all out!"

"Anything for my baby mama," winked Shawn.

Juliet's contented grin very quickly turned reproachful. "Please don't ever call me that again," she said sternly.

"You got it." Shawn swallowed. He'd have to remember to think before speaking. He needed Juliet to be a good mood tonight. They settled into their seats and the waiter took their drink order, leaving them to look over the menu.

Juliet decided now was as good a time as any to fill him in. "So…uh, Shawn, I think you should know that Vick and Lassiter know."

"You mean they know about…" Shawn made a motion to indicate a pregnant belly. "You told them?" he asked.

"Not exactly. More like, they figured it out," she said.

"How did they take it?" asked Shawn worriedly.

"Well, the Chief congratulated us, but Lassiter wanted to kill you." Shawn swallowed. Seeing his fear, she added, "Don't worry though, I set him straight. He will not be discharging his pistol in your direction as long as I have anything to say about it."

Shawn was relieved. "That's my girl!" he said proudly.

"So, sorry about the impromptu fishing trip today?" Juliet sympathized. "I know that fishing isn't your thing, and it's unfortunate that nothing came out of it. Tracking down this 'Pinkerton' guy has been getting very frustrating.

"You know that's right," said Shawn. "…but let's not talk about work tonight. Tonight is all about _you and_ _me_." Shawn took Juliet's hand in his and gazed lovingly into her eyes.

Juliet's stomach fluttered and all thoughts of the case went out the window. "Good idea," she said in a sultry voice. Their dinner continued pleasantly. Juliet swooned over the filet mignon with crab macaroni and cheese, and Shawn couldn't disagree. Along with dessert, the waiter brought two flutes of a bubbly golden liquid."

"Shawn? You know I can't drink that…" whispered Juliet, tensing uncomfortably.

"Relax Jules, its grape juice." Shawn said lifting his glass and taking a quick sip. Juliet's eyes didn't leave Shawn's while she too took a taste as if to see if it really was grape juice, and she relaxed when there was clearly no trace of alcohol. "See, I thought of everything," he said.

"So you did." Juliet leaned in and kissed him on the lips.

Out of the corner of his eye, Shawn saw the ring resting gently in the bottom of Juliet's glass, just as he had requested. Then his eyebrows scrunched with curiosity as he noticed something. The glass and the grape juice magnified the ring, so he could see it in closer detail than ever. On either side of the diamond were tiny squiggle patterns in the silver. He had seen those squiggle patterns before. He was sure of it. He flashed back to Pinkerton's cuff-link. It was the same pattern. But wait…he was sure he had seen it somewhere else too… It only took a few seconds until it came to him. Ed Harrison! Ed had been wearing a ring on his pinky with the same squiggly pattern on a red background, identical to Pinkerton's.

As they finished their kiss, he saw Juliet's gaze turning towards the glass. He had to distract her, quickly! "Look! It's Billy Zane!" he proclaimed, pointing across the restaurant. It worked. While Juliet was looking about the room for signs of Billy Zane, Shawn quickly grabbed her flute, fished out the ring with a butter knife, shoved the ring into his pocket, and placed the glass exactly where it had been. He did all of this just in time before Juliet turned around, saying disappointedly, "I don't see him."

"Oh. I'm sorry," said Shawn. "It must have been someone else with exquisite hair."

Juliet noticed the stunned look on his face. "What is it?" she asked.

"Nothing. Let's get on with our date, shall we?" he said nervously. His plan may now have been ruined but he still wanted the night to be special. He still wanted to give Juliet the romantic evening she deserved without work getting in the way, and then he wanted to take her home and make love to her.

Juliet sighed impatiently. She wasn't an idiot and she knew Shawn well enough to know that his expression meant something. "Shawn, I know it's not _nothing_. That's your 'I've-just-had-a-revelation-face'. You remembered something."

Shawn's face fell. "You know me too well, Jules," he sighed. "I just figured out that 'Pinkerton' wasn't working alone. He had a partner, and I know who it is." He didn't dare tell Juliet about the ring. His big question would have to wait.

* * *

><p>Juliet awoke to a sudden wave of nausea. She lay still, trying to wait it out, while watching Shawn's sleeping figure. She glanced at the clock. It was only 4:30 AM. It was early but still almost near time to be up that morning. Shawn was supposed to meet Gus and his father to confront Ed when he came for his next fishing lesson. Their plan was to get Ed to confess. Shawn was going to wear a bug, while she and Lassiter were to lie in wait and take Ed in as soon as the confession came.<p>

Waiting out the nausea was to no avail. Juliet climbed out of bed, taking the bed sheet with her to cover her body that was still unclothed from the night before. She rushed to the bathroom and emptied her stomach of the expensive food she had eaten the previous night. Shawn was awakened by her movements and the removal of the sheet from his own naked body. He slipped on his boxer shorts and followed her sleepily. "You alright sweetheart?" he asked.

"Yeah. It's just morning sickness again. It will pass," she grunted, unhappily. Shawn approached her and leaned over to brush her hair from her face and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

"I'm sorry, Jules…are you going to be alright for the sting operation this morning?"

"Hmm…" she moaned again as her stomach swirled. "I don't know. You might as well get ready and go, and please call Lassiter and see if he can get McNab or another officer to help. I'll try to join you guys if I can, but I can't make any promises." Shawn nodded and did as she said. It had been a least an hour until the sick feeling finally subsided and Juliet began her morning routine, intent on joining the group. She finished by grabbing a juice and a granola bar and started out the front door. Just then, she felt something come down _hard _on the back of her head and everything went black.

* * *

><p>Ed strolled across Henry's lawn wearing a fishing hat and vest, a pole and tackle box in hand. It was 5:30 AM and the sun had yet to rise. Before he could knock on Henry's door, it opened. Henry grabbed him by the shirt collar and pulled him inside. "Ok, 'Ed,' or whatever your name is. Who are you and what are you up to?"<p>

Ed was stunned and clearly terrified of the angry faces of Henry, Shawn, and Gus staring him down. "Henry? What is this? I thought we were going fishing," he whimpered.

"Enough of your lies," threatened Henry. "I know you are up to something. I know you weren't just hanging innocently by my boat yesterday afternoon. You were following us…like you have been for weeks. Confess. Now! Or I'll make you."

Either Ed was a very good actor, or he was truly scared of what Henry might do to him, which was very unlike his supposed accomplice. "Ok. Ok. Alright, I'll you the truth. Just…please, don't hurt me."

"Ok. We're listening," said Henry.

"I admit, I was following you, BUT I honestly did not mean you any harm!" Ed began to panic at the disbelieving expressions on all three men's faces.

"Tell it to the judge," said Gus.

"Seriously, please hear me out," Ed continued and sighed nervously as Henry motioned for him to continue. "I am not really Ed Harrison, the retired hopeful fisherman," he stammered. "My…My name is Edmund Habsburg. I am a descendent of the royal house of Habsburg of Austria." Ed's voice transitioned from a very convincing American accent to his true Austrian one. Shawn, Gus, and Henry looked at each other in astonishment. "The truth is, I've come here in search of a family heirloom…a ring." Shawn's eyebrows lifted in astonishment. He had guessed that Ed and Pinkerton were after the ring because of pattern on it, but he had no idea that the ring had belonged to a royal family. Ed continued. "The ring has been missing from our estate for over 90 years. We had all but given up hope of ever finding it, and then we found this.

Henry braced himself as Ed reached for his pocket. He didn't pull out a weapon as Henry anticipated, but a photograph. The photograph looked like it had been cut from a magazine and depicted a black-and-white image of a young man that looked an awful lot like Shawn and a beautiful woman in his arms. It was unmistakable that the diamond ring on the woman's finger was the same one that was now resting in Shawn's pocket.

"Unbelievable!" said Henry. "That's my dad and my mom."

"I thought so," said Ed with a smile. "You've finally confirmed it for me."

"Where did you get that?" asked Henry.

"It appeared in a publication last year that documented the wartime social lives of soldiers…both domestic and foreign. A relation of mine recognized the ring and I determined to discover the identity of the couple in this photo and hoped to recover the ring. Through extensive research, I suspected this man to be an American soldier, one William Spencer. When I discovered that William and his wife Elizabeth had long been deceased, I naturally looked to his next of kin."

"Me," said Henry.

"And me next," Shawn added.

"Yes, and you too," chuckled Ed.

"You see, I had to first determine whether I was correct in my assumption that you were the descendent of the man and woman in the photo and to find out if you had any knowledge of the ring. That's why I disguised myself as a fisherman and befriended you. Believe me, I never wanted to deceive you, but felt it necessary for keeping my investigation quiet. To my family that ring is priceless, and for many others it would gather a very hefty sum. There are plenty who would do anything to get their hands on it."

Henry and Gus's mouths were gaping. Shawn was suddenly _very _aware of the tiny chunk of metal and diamond in is his pocket. He couldn't believe he had been so careless with it.

"So, how do you think my dad got ahold of it?" asked Henry.

"I couldn't say," said Ed. "We had long suspected the ring to have been stolen by our distant German family in the early 1900s. I suspect your father came across it during a World War II raid on Germany. He probably had no idea of its significance or worth…just thought it a pretty piece of jewelry to give to his sweetheart."

"It's true my parents met and were engaged during the war," Henry explained. "My mother was a military nurse stationed in Germany. My father was also stationed there and met her when he was wounded." Ed nodded in satisfaction. All of the pieces were fitting together.

"This is all very interesting," said Shawn, "but you haven't told us about the breaking-in, and the vandalism, and the thievery. What about your partner…the so-called 'Pinkerton'? Were you two hoping to find the ring all on your own…taking out anyone who got in the way, and hoping you could just take it home without us being the wiser."

"I am sure I have no idea what you are talking about, son! I was planning to offer a sizeable compensation for return of the ring to my family," said Ed.

"Oh, really? Then why did I find one of your partner's cuff-links at the scene of the crime? Explain that!"

"Partner?" said Ed with horror in his eyes. "I don't have a partner. I came here on my own."

Everyone shared nervous glances. "Are you telling me…" said Shawn, "…that you have no idea who this man is." He pulled out a piece of paper from his breast pocket and unfolded it. It was the sketch of Pinkerton.

"Oh my goodness!" exclaimed Ed. "I do know who that is! It's Felix. Felix Habsburg. He must have followed me here."

"Who's Felix," asked Gus.

"Felix is my third cousin," Ed answered. "He is a criminal and a low-life. The family disowned him many years ago. I am sure he would kill to get his hands on that ring!"

"It looks like he already has," said Shawn. "Any idea where he might be now?"

"How should I know?" said Ed. "I had no idea he was even here."

"Well, if he was following you following us we might be able to assume that he knew as much as you did about the whereabouts of the ring," said Gus. "So, if you were him…and you were evil…where would you go next?"

"Seeing as that I knew that young Shawn had given the ring to his newly affianced last evening, I would guess that the ring would be on her finger," reasoned Ed.

"Wait! How did you know about that?" interrogated Henry.

"I apologize for my lack of manners Henry, but I admit that I heard you and Shawn conversing through the door the other night. As did he." Ed pointed to Gus. Gus shrugged guiltily.

"Gus? You knew I was planning to propose and you didn't say anything to me?" asked Shawn.

"Believe me, if I thought you were making an epic mistake, I would have tried to stop you. But, even though I didn't totally agree with your timing, I supported your decision _and, _even though I was _very_ hurt that you decided not to share it with me, I knew it wasn't my place to get in your way. Besides, I thought she would probably say yes...you know, considering…" Gus's tone became soft.

"Considering what?" asked Henry, confused. His questioned was ignored.

"Thanks Gus, and I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but I honestly thought that you _would_ get in my way. And to be even more honest, I'm not sure I was thinking straight and even _I_ wasn't sure what she would say."

"Why weren't you thinking straight?" asked Henry, even more confused. Simultaneously Ed and Gus asked in unison, "What did she say?!"

"That's just the thing. I didn't ask her." Shawn took the ring from his pocket. "When I noticed the matching patterns on this ring, Ed's ring, and the cuff-links, I had to abort my plan."

"So, then Pinkerton…I mean, Felix…wouldn't need to find Juliet to find the ring!" said Gus.

"Yes, but _HE _wouldn't necessarily know that!" said Shawn, worry building in his voice. Shawn spoke into the microphone attached to his cuff. "Lassie! Did Jules ever get here? Please tell me she's with you!"

"Uh…that's a negative…" said Lassiter, worry building in his voice as well.

"I better call Jules and see if she's ok." Shawn took out his iPhone and selected her speed dial. After a minute the phone went to voice mail. "She's not answering! We need to get to her now!"


	12. Chapter 11: The Struggle

**Sorry for the long long wait. Life has been a little crazy lately. Here is chapter 11. One more chapter to go!**

**Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that the cut-and-paste option for submitting a document isn't working right anymore. It was kind of a pain posting this :(**

* * *

><p>As Juliet came to, she noticed that she couldn't move. She was positioned on a dining chair with her hands tied behind her and her feet tied to the legs of the chair. She felt something cold and wet dripping down the back of her neck. When her vision unblurred, she saw that someone was standing over her. He was a tall lanky man, dressed in a black suit and with greasy black hair. She recognized his face. "Pinkerton?" she said hoarsely.<p>

"Sure. If that's what you want to call me," he said snidely. "Now that you are awake you can be of some use. Where is it?!" he screamed.

"Where's what?" said Juliet through a whimper.

"The ring! Where's the ring? Why wasn't it on your finger?"

"What ring?" cried Juliet, "I don't know what you are talking about."

"Don't lie to me! I know your boyfriend…or should I say _fiancé… _gave it to you last night. Now tell me where it is!" He held Juliet's gun which he had taken from her, cocked it, and pointed it to her head.

"Fiance? I'm not engaged. I swear I don't know anything about a ring. Please don't shoot me!" she pleaded.

"Damnit!" he said and hit Juliet across the head with the gun causing blood to trickle from her forehead. Her vision blurred again and she felt about ready to lose consciousness.

Just then there was a loud crash. The front door had been kicked off its hinges and Henry, Ed, Gus, and Shawn rushed through it.

Juliet lifted her heavy head a high as she could. "Shawn!" she exclaimed with a strained voice.

"Jules, it's me! I'm here," said Shawn as he began to cross the room towards her. He stopped short though, when he saw that Felix had turned Juliet's gun on Shawn. "Whoa! Don't shoot man. I'm the only one who can give you want you want, _FELIX._" Felix flinched at the sound of his own name. "Yeah. That's right. I know who you are. I know a lot of things. See, I know it was you that broke into my Dad's house and then into my office. I knew that those break-ins were not random, even though you tried to fool everyone by taking a few valuable items from each place. By the way, you totally missed the Ginsu knives…MVP of my Dad's house, seriously. And dude, do you mind if I get my Nintendo back…

"Shawn!" growled Henry.

"BUT…you should have known better than to try to fool a psychic. See, I sensed that you were the culprit, and I sensed that you were looking for this." Shawn held up the ring and Felix's eyes widened. Juliet's eyes widened too. "I was a little late in the game on that second one though, I admit…Sorry Jules," he mouthed to her.

While Shawn continued, Henry and Gus tried to approach Felix in hopes of taking him down, but couldn't manage to get close enough without Felix turning the gun on them.

"You see, this ring belonged to my Gamagama Spencer, but unbeknownst to us, it has a richer history than we could have ever guessed. It originally belonged to the Habsburg family of Austria, a royal family heirloom. Ed, here, was in Santa Barbara looking for this ring, and had traced it down to my own father. He was about to offer up a deal in exchange for returning the ring to its rightful owner. But _you _couldn't have that. You had to have the ring for your selfish little…well not so little…gangly, greasy self. So you followed Ed all the way to Santa Barbara and used his leads to try to steal it. First, you broke into my Dad's house, but unfortunately for you, it wasn't there. It wasn't there, because…" Shawn paused and his eyes wandered to Juliet. "…because it was with me." Juliet lifted her head which felt like it weighed twenty pounds and her jaw dropped, dumbfounded, as she came to realize just why Shawn was in possession of his grandmother's ring. She caught Shawn's gaze briefly before he cleared his throat nervously and continued.

"It turns out you might have found it in my own office that very day, but your plan was foiled by an innocent little girl. She saw you trying to break into my office, you threatened her, and the next thing you knew the entire police force was on the lookout for you. The next day you tried a new approach, posing as a client so you could take a look around the office, as well as sending us on a wild goose chase to keep us distracted from what you were really up to. When Gus and I stepped out of the room during our meeting, you snatched the photo of Jules and me from my desk. It was a weird thing to steal, but there was a reason for it. You hoped that tracking down my girlfriend might lead you to the ring…perhaps you planned to hold her hostage in return for the ring. Well, it was your lucky day because it just so happened that I had a spare key hidden inside the frame." Shawn looked to Gus. "That's right, Gus. I didn't forget to lock the door!" Gus shrugged guiltily.

"As soon as Gus and I left for coffee, you came looking in the Psych Office, but poo poo on you, because what you didn't realize was that by that time I had returned the ring to my Dad. And even if the ring was in the office, you didn't get to complete your search, because little miss Emma spotted you again. You couldn't have her blabbing to the cops before your mission was complete, so you eliminated her." Shawn's voice cracked. "She was just a child, man… Why?" Felix didn't respond but only stared blankly. The heartlessness he displayed made the room heavy.

Shawn gulped and continued. "Finally, when you found out that I…" He couldn't believe he was going to say this in front of Juliet. "that I…wanted to give it to Juliet…" Juliet's mouth dropped again. "…you thought you'd just wait, find her unawares and just take it off her pretty little finger. Well, it sucks to be you, because when I realized that the ring was your target, I didn't give it her…" He turned to Juliet. "I'm really really sorry Jules. This is all my fault."

"No, Shawn. You couldn't have known…" she mumbled. She looked like she was having a hard time keeping her eyes open.

Just then, Felix turned the gun back to Juliet.

"No!" yelled Shawn.

"Give me the ring, or I'll shoot!" shouted Felix.

"Ok! Ok! Ok! Whatever you want," said Shawn in a panic, "Just don't hurt her, please!"

Shawn held out the ring and stepped carefully towards Felix. Felix took the ring and then hesitated, taking in his current situation while keeping the gun pointed towards Juliet's head. Seeing that he was outnumbered and not likely to make it out of the house without doing something drastic, he hatched a new plan. Shawn saw the cogs working in Felix's brain and watched as if by slow motion Felix's finger pressed onto the trigger. He immediately launched himself towards Juliet, hearing the shot ring as Juliet, chair and all toppled sideways.

Henry and Gus reacted by tackling Felix to the ground and attempting to pry the gun from his hand, while Ed simply watched the scene in horror. The gun went off again, this time the bullet flying haphazardly toward the front window causing it to shatter to pieces. Outside the house, Detective Lassiter and several cops had arrived just in time to see the front window shatter and they rushed towards the house, Lassiter barking orders.

Despite his puny stature, Felix had proven to be stronger than Gus or Henry anticipated. He had managed to wrestle free with the gun still in hand, though he had dropped the ring in the process which rolled across the room and landed smack dab in front of Ed who picked it up off of the floor. Felix had just aimed the gun toward Henry when Lassiter and the officers entered the home, their guns trained on Felix. "Drop your weapon, now!" screamed Lassiter. Several tense moments passed while Felix eyed Ed holding the ring and the arsenal of weapons pointed at him. He could see that he was outnumbered and that any chance of remedying the situation had gone out of the broken window. He surrendered and placed the gun on the floor. "Hands in the air!" Lassiter yelled. Lassiter kept his weapon on Felix while three officers surrounded him and put him in cuffs.

Shawn missed all of these events, having lost all awareness of everything around him as he pulled himself of off his girlfriend, panic-stricken as he inspected her from top to bottom. Juliet looked into her boyfriend's eyes woozily. "Shawn…you're hurt," she mumbled. Suddenly Shawn felt a stinging in his left arm and realized that the blood soaking into the carpet was his own and not Juliet's. He looked at the gaping bullet hole in his left bicep, and openly thanked the heavens that he had been hit instead of her.

"Shawn?" mumbled Juliet, through tears.

"It's ok, Jules. It's just my arm. I'll be ok. You're going to be ok too. It's all over now."

"I love you, Shawn," she said, and then her eyes closed and her head dropped. She was unconscious.

"Jules! Juliet! Wake up! Someone call an ambulance now!

* * *

><p>Shawn paced back and forth in the hospital waiting room, waiting to hear that his Juliet was going to be ok. His wound had been fixed up and bandaged quickly and his arm was bound in a sling. Juliet had been unconscious for at a least a couple of hours and had been admitted to the ICU for numerous tests. Shawn was accompanied by Gus, Rachael, Lassiter, and Chief Vick. All of them slumped into the uncomfortable chairs, tapping fingers and feet nervously.<p>

Henry entered the waiting room and found his son. "Shawn! How is she?" he asked, hugging Shawn while being careful not to squeeze his wounded arm.

"We're still waiting…" answered Shawn.

Henry nodded and placed a comforting hand on his son's back. She'll be alright, Shawn," he encouraged, hoping that he was right. "Look, Shawn. I know this isn't any consolation right now, but I made a deal with Ed." He handed Shawn an envelope, which Shawn opened and pulled out the check inside. At first he just stared at it, nonplussed as counted and recounted the number of zeros.

"Dad? Is this a joke?" he choked. "This can't be for real…"

"I guess you'll find out when you take it to the bank on Monday," Henry answered. Shawn's mouth opened and closed a few times before inserting the check back into the envelope and trying to hand it back to his father.

"Dad? Don't you want to…?"

"No, Shawn. It's all yours," said Henry backing away from the envelope. "Your grandmother left the ring to you, not me." Shawn reluctantly retracted his outstretched arm and looked disbelievingly at the tiny bit of paper in his hands. "Don't blow it all at once," advised Henry before taking a seat next to Gus.

Shawn stuffed the envelope into his pocket and resumed his pacing. After what seemed like a lifetime, a nurse entered the waiting room and called for Mr. Spencer.

Shawn sprinted to the nurse. "How is she? Is she ok?! Please tell me she's ok," pleaded Shawn.

"You can relax," said the nurse, "Ms. O'Hara suffered a moderate concussion, but now she and the baby are doing just fine."

Everyone left out a sigh of relief, except for Henry. "Baby?!" he shouted. Shawn turned red. Of all the people in the room, Shawn's own father was the only one who didn't know yet. Even Rachael had found out from Gus.

"By the way Dad," said Shawn, "You're going to be a grandpa. Congratulations!"

Henry was speechless.

"She's asking for you," said the nurse to Shawn.

* * *

><p><strong>I can't believe there are only two episodes left! I don't know what I am going to do without having new episodes to look forward to. Maybe I'll just have to keep writing fanfic.<strong>


	13. Chapter 12: The Proposal

**How perfect was the finale?! I watched it three times. It was so good! I can't believe Psych is over :( At least I can keep it alive with fanfic.**

**Anywho, here is the final chapter. The epilogue will be posted in a day or two.**

* * *

><p>Shawn knocked gently on the hospital room door with the back of his knuckle. "Sweetheart?" he whispered.<p>

Juliet opened her eyes, turned her head towards Shawn, and smiled. "Shawn!" she said hoarsely, a goofy smile spreading across her face.

Shawn walked over to her and knelt down beside her. "How are you sweetie?" he asked.

"I have a bit of a headache…and the pain meds are making me feel a little loopy," she said, "…but otherwise I feel fine. How about you?"

"Well, I can't use my left arm for a while. Which sucks, because I'm probably gonna lose all that muscle tone that I've been working out so hard for. Then my left arm will get all puny, while my right arm will hulk out doing everything that my left arm usually does. I'm going to be lopsided, Jules," said Shawn with a silly frown.

"Lopsided or not, I'll still love you Shawn," smiled Juliet.

"I love you when you're loopy," said Shawn. Juliet giggled. Shawn put his free hand on her stomach. "The doctor says the baby is doing ok?"

"The baby is fine," she assured him.

"Oh, Jules! I am so so so so sorry! This is all my fault!" cried Shawn.

"Shawn, this is _not _your fault. If anything I can thank you for saving our lives," she said, indicating herself and the baby inside her.

"But Jules, if I hadn't been freaking out about _this…_" he rubbed her tummy, "I might have caught on to Felix earlier. If I would have realized even a few hours earlier that Felix was after the ring, I could have prevented all of this!"

"You don't know that, Shawn. Unfortunately, it is just part of our jobs…putting ourselves in danger. Besides, no one said you couldn't freak out. I am certainly doing my share of that too."

"Really?" said Shawn, surprised. "What do you have to be afraid of? You are so mature and put together. You are the strongest person I know. You are going to be an excellent mom!"

"Well, aside from the fact that I am going to be pushing another human being out of me in eight months…I don't know what I'm doing! I am not prepared to be a mother. _And _I have one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. How am I supposed to protect our child from _that_? I am scared to death!"

"Jules, I have no doubt that you are going to be the best mother in the world…not to mention, bad-ass! Our little Starfish couldn't be in better hands having the SBPD's most beloved homicide detective as a mother." Juliet rolled her eyes when she heard Shawn call their child "Starfish" again, but smiled bashfully as he continued. "He or she is going to have the entire police force looking out for him…or her. Having me as a father, on the other hand…?"

"Shawn, don't even say it!" Juliet interrupted, frowning. "You are wonderful to me, and that alone tells me that you are going to be wonderful to our child. The other day…when I said those things…I didn't mean to make you feel like I didn't trust you. I was just…scared…I wanted to make sure I wasn't going to be taking on too much of the responsibility on my own."

Shawn looked disappointedly away from Juliet. He still couldn't help but feel guilty for Juliet's fears. If he hadn't been such a screw up…? If he hadn't lied to her…? Maybe she wouldn't be so afraid if he could have been more trustworthy? "Jules, do you really trust me?" he asked.

"Of course, I do, Shawn!" Juliet's face flushed red as she tried to hold back tears long enough to say what she was going to say. "You…you took a bullet for me today…for _us_." She placed a hand on her stomach, and Shawn placed his hand on hers. "You risked your life to save ours. How can I _not _trust you?"

"I would die if anything happened to you or the baby, Jules," Shawn stated sincerely. "You have to know I would never allow you to do this on your own."

"I know," responded Juliet. "You've proven that to me." She paused briefly, turning her hand around to intertwine her fingers with Shawn's. She squeezed his hand. "You lied about the psychic thing… I understand that the lie started before I met you. I understand that there were a lot of risks to telling me. Even so, I wish you had told me. It hurt to know that you couldn't trust me with your secret, and…I couldn't be sure that you weren't lying to me about everything else. I've been lied to and disappointed by the men in my life too many times…but, that is in the past now. You are not my father or my brother. It's not fair for me to take out my own insecurities on you. I know that your love for me is genuine, and that I can believe you when you say that you are going to be there for us. You were there for us today, without any hesitation."

"Jules, I am going to be here for every moment…every single day, every word you say, every bond you break, every step you take…"

"Shawn," laughed Juliet, giving him a light slap on his good arm.

"…every breath you take, every move you make, every claim you stake…"

"I get the point, Shawn," she giggled.

"Ok, anyway, I am going to do my very best to be a good dad," Shawn continued. "And still…if you ever think I am not doing good enough, please just tell me…because…I am going to be very honest here…there are probably going to be some times that I mess up…most likely I won't even realize I'm doing it. All you need to do is just give me a good swift kick in the pants, and I'll step it up again. I promise."

"Ok. I will," she smiled. "And you do the same for me."

"I will," said Shawn. "We are in this together." He held his fist out for a fist-bump and Juliet reciprocated. They gazed into each other's eyes for a few silent moments, and Juliet finally brought up the question that Shawn had been expecting."

"Shawn…were you really going to propose to me last night?"

"If I hadn't noticed the symbols on the ring, I think I would have. I was so close! But, don't worry sweetie, I wasn't thinking straight. I know that just because we are having a baby doesn't mean we have to get married right away."

"Shawn, when we talked the other day, did you think I was asking you to propose to me?"

"Oh…no…of course not!" said Shawn, but Juliet wasn't convinced. "Well…maybe a little," he confessed.

"That's what I thought," said Juliet. "Well, for the record, I wasn't asking you to propose to me. But… also for the record, if you had asked me…I think I might have said yes."

"You…what?!...really?!" said Shawn, excitedly.

Juliet smiled and nodded. "Yeah, well, you were on a roll last night. The date was perfect, and you were looking so sexy in that suit. Maybe I was just at the mercy of my hormones, but I think you could have convinced me of almost anything last night."

"Ok…well…what if I asked you today…now?" implored Shawn. She smiled and shrugged.

"Ok! Ok! Here it goes!" he whispered to himself. Shawn's hands searched his pockets and then he realized he had given the ring to Ed. "…but I don't have a ring anymore!" he exclaimed out loud. "Wait!" He looked around the room and then grabbed a hospital gown that was draped over a nearby chair. He cut off a piece of the gown's tie string with his Swiss Army knife and tied it into a tiny circle. Then he knelt on one knee beside Juliet's hospital bed.

"Juliet O'Hara," he began. "When I met you, I was just an irresponsible kid with a love for Red Vines, Snyder's of Hanover pretzels, and Curt Smith of Tears for Fears. But getting to know you, and then being _with_ you has taught me what it is to be a _man _with a love for Red Vines, Snyder's of Hanover pretzels, and Curt Smith of Tears for Fears. And now, I love you more than all of those things combined, _plus _Funyons, _plus _Phineus and Ferb, _Chips_, all of the John Hughes movies, Churros, Magnum ice cream bars, _and…"_

"Shawn, get to your point," said Juliet impatiently and excitedly.

Shawn continued, "Now, I know that I would give up all of the pineapples in the world, so that I could never miss another with day with you. So, with this hospital gown string, soon to be replaced by a real ring made of white gold and diamonds and paid for by Ed's very generous compensation… I would like to ask you, Juliet O'Hara, to be my wife."

"And I, Juliet O'Hara…" She delayed her answer simply for the suspense and to see the panic on Shawn's face. When she felt she had tortured him long enough, she answered, "…_accept!_ My answer is _Yes!_"

Shawn slipped the hospital gown ring on Juliet's finger and she embraced him tightly enough that he winced at the pain in his arm. "Sorry," she said taking his face into both of her hands instead and gazing into his eyes. Shawn brought his single hand up to Juliet's face and caressed her soft cheek, before kissing her softly.

"I love you, Juliet," said Shawn.

"And I love you too, Shawn Spencer," Juliet responded. The two shared a long, passionate kiss. "I can't wait to marry you."

"You hear that, kid?" Shawn spoke louder so his unborn child could hear. "Your mom can't wait to marry me!" He looked back into Juliet's eyes and whispered. "And I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with her…and our little family…and our Froot Loops." Juliet smacked him lightly and playfully on his bad arm. "Owww…" Shawn moaned teasingly.

* * *

><p>Henry's fishing boat rocked gently on the dark blue ocean ripples under the early morning sunrise. Henry stood holding a line into the water. Next to him stood Ed with a newly purchased rod in hand. Somewhere along the line of pretending to be interested in learning how to fish, Ed had become genuinely interested in it and requested that Henry continue his lessons.<p>

Ed spoke to Henry, freely allowing his Austrian accent to mold his words. "Henry, I am sorry for causing all of this trouble for your family," he apologized. "I never meant for any of it. Felix has been a continual source of trouble for the Hapsburg family. If I had thought that he would follow me, I never would have come. A simple family heirloom, no matter how valuable, is not worth the pain it caused. It surely wasn't worth the precious life of that little girl." Ed shook his head guiltily.

"Don't worry about us, Ed," said Henry. "We Spencers have a knack for attracting trouble…especially Shawn. But lucky for us, we're really good at getting us out of it _and _making sure that the bad guys get put away. Believe me, your cousin is going to be put away for a long, long time. He won't be causing your family any more trouble anymore."

"Indeed," chuckled Ed. "It seems you've done more for me than I've done for you."

"I'm just glad you found what you were looking for, Ed. And _believe me_ that money is going to come in handy for Shawn…with a baby on the way, and all. Shawn doesn't exactly have a stable source of income. As for little Emma…there's really no way to right that kind of wrong. But just know, you need not feel responsible. Felix is the only one guilty of harming her. I think what you've done, dedicating the playground renovations to her, though, was a wonderful gesture."

"Well thanks, Henry," Ed nodded. "And speaking of that baby…I believe I've failed to congratulate you properly. Being a grandfather is a wonderful thing. I have a few of the little ones, myself. You receive all the joy they bring without the responsibility."

"Ha!" Henry laughed. "I can tell you, I am going to get a lot of joy out of watching that kid drive Shawn up the walls, like he has for me… I just hope Shawn is responsible enough."

"Your son is good kid, Henry. I have a feeling he will be a fine father."

"Well, I can only hope you are right!" said Henry.

* * *

><p>Gus lugged his sample case into the Psych Office and stashed it in its usual spot in the corner. He was finally done with his route for the day and was looking forward to an afternoon of online LOTR role play. He opened his laptop and logged in.<p>

"Yo! Burtonmir of the Barbarangard!" Shawn's voice rang loudly in his ear, startling him out of his seat.

"Damn, Shawn! How many times have I told you not to sneak up on me like that?!"

"Exactly 746 times, Gus," Shawn answered. "I'm afraid, though, nothing sinks into my head unless I've heard it at least 914 times."

Gus shook his head and stood in chicken pose until regaining his composure. "How long have you been here, Shawn? Why didn't I see you when I came in?"

"Well I've been here just long enough to discover another one of your secret vices that I am never going to let you live down. How many ORBs did you slay today, Gus?" Shawn chuckled.

Gus argued impatiently. "It's _ORCs_, Shawn, and none yet. I have to escape from Saruman's tower first."

"Ok, well, you let me know when you get out of Azkaban, and then I'll try to go on pretending that we actually have _something _in common."

"Azkaban is - ! You know what, nevermind. Shouldn't you be at the hospital with Juliet?"

"I was," said Shawn. "She's resting now so I figured I'd come over to start baby-proofing the office." Shawn pointed to the locks he'd put onto the cabinet doors below the sink, along with several Mr. Yuck stickers, and then to the outlet covers on all of the empty outlets in the room.

Gus scanned the room to observe Shawn's work. "Shawn, you know the baby is only the size of a peanut right now. It's going to be quite a while until he or she starts getting into things."

"A walnut, actually. The baby is the size of a walnut, and it's never too soon start, Gus. We have a lot to do before he gets here. Anyway…" continued Shawn. "…are you up for another rousing game of guess-what's-in-my-pocket?"

Gus shook his head from side to side. "No. No, Shawn. I've learned my lesson. I'm not falling for that again!"

"Gus, I'm hurt!" Shawn put his unbandaged arm to his heart. "Have a little faith. I promise you it's not a Madagascar hissing cockroach this time."

"And it's not a tarantula, or a snake, or a human toe?" Gus asked uneasily.

"I promise, nothing living or formerly living." Gus continued to shake his head, refusing to make any guesses. "Maaannn! You're no fun!" Shawn took the object out of his pocket and tossed it towards Gus, who leapt out of the way with a whimper.

The velvety box landed on the center of Gus's desk. Upon seeing that it was nothing threatening, Gus straightened himself up and scooped up the box. He carefully opened it, just to be sure that nothing scary would jump out at him, and relaxed when he saw a harmless inanimate object inside. His eyes widened as he looked at the brand new sparkly ring inside. "Shawn? You got Juliet another ring?"

"No, Gus. It's for you," said Shawn sarcastically.

"So…does this mean you're still going to propose?"

"No," said Shawn, this time completely serious.

"No?"

"No. I already asked her, Gus…yesterday. She said yes." A huge grin formed on Shawn's face that was mirrored by Gus. "At this point the ring is just a formality…do you think she'll like it?"

For a moment, Gus was speechless. "Yeah…yeah! She'll love it!" he stuttered. "Shawn? You're getting married!" Gus exclaimed as if Shawn hadn't even realized the fact himself.

"Yeah, Gus. Crazy, huh? You better start working on that best man speech."


	14. Epilogue: Grandpapa Monkey

**The epilogue should be familiar, as it is almost exactly my one-shot "Grandpapa Monkey." This was always intended to be a sort of epilogue to this story, and I liked it so much the way it is that I didn't want to change a thing.**

* * *

><p>Juliet was home and settled in. She was given a few days off to recover from her concussion and Shawn had to make sure she actually took the rest she needed. It wasn't an easy task to keep such a driven woman on bed rest. Multiple times she insisted that she felt fine and wanted to return to work, and if she wasn't carrying his child Shawn probably would have given in and let her go. But he was extra protective of her now.<p>

Shawn was feeling somewhat guilty for not having told his father properly about the baby, and decided he owed him a visit. He also hadn't yet told him that he had finally proposed to Juliet in the hospital room. He hadn't told anyone other than Gus. Shawn pulled his motorcycle up to the backside of his dad's home and entered through the kitchen door.

"Dad? You home?" he shouted.

Shawn turned into the living room just as Henry was coming down the stairs in his bathrobe. Shawn sniffed the air when he thought he got a whiff of something floral. "Dad, what is that?"

Henry stopped and looked around himself. "What is what?" asked Henry.

"That smell," said Shawn. "It smells like…lavender. Are you using women's shampoo?"

"It's not women's shampoo Shawn."

"Oh, my bad. I think I meant body wash. You obviously wouldn't need shampoo when you don't have any…"

Henry cut him off. "Shawn, if you must know, it's an herbal blend and its better on the skin than all of those chemical-filled products they are selling nowadays.

"Um. Ok. Whatever you say… Uh…What are those fuzzy things on your feet?"

"They're called moisturizing socks Shawn."

"Huh?" said Shawn with a smirk.

"Moisturizing socks. They keep my feet from getting all dry and cracked. I wouldn't expect you to understand."

"Eeeww! Forget I asked."

"So, what's up? Did you come here just to criticize my bathing ritual or did you have something you wanted to talk about?"

"What do you think?" Shawn answered somewhat acerbically. The last time Shawn had seen his dad, he had just told him that he was going to be a grandfather, but Shawn hadn't gotten to gauge Henry's reaction to it since he had to go be with Juliet at the time.

Shawn sat down on the couch and put his head in his right hand. Henry came over and sat next to his son. "Shawn…" he began.

"Dad, before we have this conversation I need you to _please_ tell me that you are wearing something under that robe."

"I'm wearing shorts, Shawn."

Shawn was noticeably relieved. He still had his head in his hand. He leaned back into the couch and rubbed his face before finally removing his hand and revealing a flushed face. "The last few days…I've been trying to stay strong…for Jules, but Dad, this is all starting to hit me like a ton of bricks. …I've got a baby on the way. I am going to be someone's father! I….I can't be a father. I can barely keep myself fed and clothed properly! Without Gus, I'd be dressed in the same jeans and button down shirt every day and eat nothing but jerk chicken and pineapple smoothies…wait. _Dammit, Gus!__" Shawn hissed to himself. _"I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure babies can't live on jerk chicken and pineapple smoothies. Dad! I have no idea what I am doing!" Shawn whined like a 10-year-old having trouble with a homework assignment.

"Shawn, what you are feeling is the same thing that 99% of dad's feel when they first find out they are going to be a dad. When your mother told me she was pregnant with you, I was so nervous I couldn't eat anything but hot dogs and shredded wheat for a week!" Shawn's brows furrowed in disgust and he shook his head to try to get rid of the image of the stools his dad must have had that week.

"What I'm saying Shawn, is that no dad is ready to be a dad. Babies don't come with instructions." Henry chuckled and shook his head. "Ha. No doubt Juliet is going to try to get you to read some of those pregnancy and parenting books….and I'm not saying you shouldn't read them – In fact…lesson #1, if your pregnant girlfriend asks you to do something for her, you do it - All I am saying is that there are a lot of things those books won't teach you…It doesn't matter how hard you try, you are going to screw up…"

"Dad, HOW is this supposed to be making me feel better?" Shawn interrupted.

"Just listen!" said Henry impatiently. "The most important thing is that you love that child, and you love the mother of that child with everything you have. No dad is perfect, but as long as you have love on your side, you are going to do just fine."

Shawn was quiet for a moment, before lifting his head and looking at his father in the eye incredulously and mildly disturbed. "What is this? An episode of _Full House?"_

"Dammit, Shawn!" complained Henry. "Why do have to ruin every good moment?!"

"Since when did you turn into Danny Tanner?!" Shawn argued.

"Ok. Fine, whatever. You don't want my advice…" said Henry, annoyed and angry.

"No. Dad, it's fine…it's just…it wouldn't be so awkward if we were at least drinking a beer or something…and, if you were wearing pants."

"Ok. Fine, I get your point. Why don't you go get us a couple beers from the fridge while I get dressed. Henry headed back up the stairs while Shawn turned and went into the kitchen.

Shawn grabbed two Coronas from the fridge and popped them open with the bottle-opener on his Swiss Army knife. He took a swig from his bottle and bounced the knife in his hand, the ginormous Swiss Army knife that Henry had given him only moments before he nearly lost his life. He looked at the object in his hand and realized that even with all of the hard feelings, and misunderstandings, and disagreements with his father, here he was…in his dad's house…listening to his dad's advice. His dad was still here for him. There was no question that Henry loved his son, and there was no question that Shawn loved that baby in Juliet's womb. He hadn't even met the child yet, but he loved him or her solely because he and Juliet had created it together, an expression of their love. He was going to be alright.

Henry returned to the kitchen wearing jeans and a hideous orange shirt with blue and yellow geometric shapes on it.

"So, Dad," said Shawn. "How do you feel about being a grandpa, or should I say Gramps? Pappy? Pop Pop? Grand-papa Monkey? GrandfoshizzlePop?"

"Just 'Grandpa' is fine, thanks!" said Henry. "And honestly, I'm ready. You're 35 years-old, for Pete's sake! Your mom and I were in our twenties when we had you. It's about time you get a taste of everything you put me through over the years! I hope this kid is just as frustrating as you and then some!"

"Gee thanks Dad...but, that's fair I guess. What would you say to a daughter-in-law?"

"As long as that daughter-in-law is the same junior detective who is carrying your child, then I am thrilled."

"That's good Dad, because Jules is officially going to be your daughter-in-law. She said yes." A smile spread across Shawn's face.

"Congratulations, Son," said Henry sincerely, and for once Shawn allowed his father to hug him without cracking a joke.

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks everyone for reading and reviewing! I like this story much better now that it's been fixed up and I hope you did too.<strong>

**So what's up next...?**

**I am working on continuing my story "It was a mistake." I have a few ideas for some one-shots in this series, and maybe an idea for a fourth installment where Frank and Ewan return. But lately I've been thinking about starting a new post-season 8 series that chronicles the character's new lives in SF. I am thinking it would be fun to do a sort of crossover with Monk. Can you imagine Monk solving cases side-by-side with Shawn and Gus? It can only be hilarious. It's been awhile since I watched Monk though, so I'm gonna have to turn on Netflix and do some homework.**

**Let me know if you have any suggestions for stories and I'll try to see if I can write it.**


End file.
